Santiago Vilas

Santiago Vilas passed away in his sleep, surrounded by family, on June 16, 2025, at his residence in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Born in Vigo, Spain on August 15, 1931, he began working for a local newspaper when only 14 and by age 16 was publishing articles as a young reporter. His distinguished professional journalistic career included vice editor-in-chief at age 20, radio anchor newsman at age 22, and correspondent of several Spanish national newspapers and international news agencies. He was awarded several Spanish journalistic awards. He earned two degrees in Spain: Business Administration from the University of Santiago and Journalism from the National School of Journalism in Madrid. Fleeing the threatening regime under dictator Francisco Franco, in 1961 he emigrated to the US as press correspondent, but within the year began a career in academia teaching Spanish language and literature at colleges in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the University of North Carolina, and University of Georgia.

In 1964 he came to Louisiana and pursued his PhD. In 1966 he began teaching Spanish language, literature and culture at LSU, a career that spanned 18 years as part of LSU's graduate faculty. He was a member of three honor societies: Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Sigma Iota and Sigma Delta Pi. Elected president of the national foreign language honor society Phi Sigma Iota in 1977, and later serving as its Executive Director from 1986-2000. Santiago was a frequent guest lecturer at several universities in the USA, Mexico, and Italy. In 1980, he was appointed by the National Endowment for the Humanities to serve in Washington, DC as an advisor, panelist and examiner of fellowship and national grant candidates. He most enjoyed leading a foreign language instruction delegation to China as a member of US People to People Citizen Ambassador Program In 1997.

Santiago published seven books in Spanish and English including The Louisiana Professional Real Estate Manual; he was also a Notary Public, Real Estate broker and businessman.

Santiago Vilas is survived by his four children: Chole Vilas Rackley(attorney) her husband Rod Rackley of Boulder, Colorado; James Vilas (attorney) and his wife Susan Denson of Baton Rouge; Fernando E. Vilas, (PhD engineer) and his wife Candace of Ft Worth, Texas; Avelina V Vilas (Doctor of Physical Therapy) and her husband Alan Watts of Cary, North Carolina; three grandchildren: Miguel J Vilas of Georgia; Victoria A. Rackley of Chicago, Illinois and Henry Homer Watts of Cary, North Carolina; his domestic partner of 13 years Lillie Hebert, her daughter Joni and husband David Trujillo of New Orleans and Stacy and husband Tommy Ashton of Baton Rouge. His two sisters Amparo and Victoria Vilas-Gil of Vigo, Spain predeceased him.

The family will hold a memorial service at a future date