Pancho Villa

Pancho Villa - oil on canvas 30x60 inches (sold) Born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula in 1878, Villa was one of the central figures of the Mexican Revolution. People often reduce him to "bandit" or "revolutionary," but his vision for Mexico extended beyond winning battles. Villa himself had very little formal education. He was largely self-taught, and that experience shaped his beliefs. After taking control of Chihuahua, he directed resources toward public education. He reopened schools, founded new ones, and reportedly said that schools were more important to Mexico's future than maintaining a large standing army. Historians generally agree this emphasis on education was a genuine part of his program, even if individual quotations vary in translation. One of the most feared military commanders of the Mexican Revolution believed that a nation's future depended more on teachers than soldiers. "I would rather pay a teacher than a general." - Pancho Villa