Faces of San Miguel: Jaime Fernández, A Man With A Dream For San Miguel De Allende

By Natalie Taylor

Jaime Fernández has been an integral part of San Miguel his entire life. His father, Enrique Fernández was governor of the state of Guanajuato from 1939 to 1943, and his mother, Nell Harris, was born in Arkansas but became a resident of México. The two met and married in Guanajuato City, and this is where Jaime was born.

In 1949, Enrique and Nell moved to San Miguel de Allende and purchased the ancestral home of the De la Canal family—the current Instituto Allende. They restored the mansion, which was in ruins, and in 1951 opened the School of Fine Arts with the cooperation of Cossio del Pomar and Stirling Dickinson. This marked a major transformation of the city of San Miguel de Allende, bringing international artists and teachers to a school that provided university degrees because of its association with the University of Guanajuato. In the back of the property they had a hotel which became a primary place for visitors and students. He grew up in an enchanted period—a small-town atmosphere in a growing international community that welcomed world-renowned giants of the visual arts, music, and literature.   

He and his younger brother Rudy played in the old De la Canal orchard in front of the Instituto, a place filled with fruit trees, magueys, and native plants. In the large open field they practiced soccer, and baseball, played spinning tops, and marbles with the local children. Behind the Instituto, the current Rosewood property, another open space with fruit trees and berry bushes, provided perfect spots for hide and seek and other childhood games. Jaime recalls beautiful Parque Juárez and how much he enjoyed collecting the acorn-like fruits of the eucalyptus trees as a child.

Jaime was given a bi-national education when he went to the Hot Springs High School in Arkansas to live with his maternal grandmother. Returning to México, he continued his studies at the University of Guanajuato and received a law degree. His father died in 1968, and three years later Jaime returned to San Miguel to help his mother manage the hotel and the Instituto. He got his first taste of government work in the area of immigration in México City and around that time, married Pakina Langenscheid, also from San Miguel. They moved to Guanajuato City where he became director of tourism for the state government, and later worked for the Treasury Department in México City.

Jaime Fernández had always dreamt of doing something more significant in the area of public service. Influenced by his father’s political involvement as governor, he felt that he too could do something impactful. In 1994, he won election as mayor of San Miguel de Allende and assumed office in January of 1995. He feels proud of the many initiatives during his three-year term as mayor. One of the major projects was increasing cultural activities beyond the Centro, bringing art and culture to the outlying rural communities. He placed great emphasis on the renovation and maintenance of the Colonial buildings and architecture, including the general appearance of the city, such as moving electrical wiring underground.

He also advanced the preservation of the archeological site at Canada de la Virgen, and the restoration of the magnificent murals of Martinez de Pocasangre in Atotonilco.

A campaign was started during his term to promote a forward-thinking plan that favored an ecological, global approach at the local level. That included recycling and limiting the output of trash, beginning with the reeducation of the community. To change people’s attitudes in different sectors, they implemented the famous San Miguel de Alllende motto “uno por uno,” whereby drivers treat each other with respect at intersections without the need for stoplights. This neighborly attitude earned San Miguel the title of “the friendliest small town.”

After his term of office ended in 1998, Jaime Fernandez retired from political life. He had another dream that would greatly benefit San Miguel—a comprehensive museum combining the history and art of the city in one place. That dream has finally become reality with the opening of the museum at the Instituto Allende in October of 2025. Jaime is happy to work once again for the community, in a new capacity, administering a museum for the benefit of all the residents of San Miguel de Allende. A place of learning for locals and visitors, an asset and a legacy to be proud of, for him and for all of us here.

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