As an amateur historian studying Philippine-American history in Washington, D.C., I’ve long been familiar with the story of Arturo Rotor and Emma Unson Rotor.
Arturo, who became secretary to the Philippine president and secretary to the Commonwealth cabinet, was something of a Renaissance man. He was an accomplished medical doctor and professor, a prize-winning writer, a classically trained pianist and an orchid enthusiast. Both Rotor syndrome and an orchid variety (Vanda merrillii var. rotorii) are named for him. He was a man “surrounded by myth,” cultural historians Edilberto Alegre and Doreen Fernandez wrote in 1984.
In contrast, his wife Emma was seen as a supportive, background presence. “Emma Unson Rotor sat quietly by [then] made an occasional comment, illustrating the supportive, companionable intelligence with which she had seen master short story craftsman Dr. Arturo Rotor through his long and shining career,” Fernandez wrote in an article describing an oral history project focused on Filipino writers. In the postwar period, Arturo and Emma lived back in the Philippines. Arturo remained a public figure, active in medical and literary circles, while Emma taught math at Assumption College, a private school in Makati.
But Emma Rotor was not only a devoted wife and math teacher. While living in the United States, she conducted groundbreaking weapons research.
2023-09-12 07:00:00
Article from www.sciencenews.org
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