Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain Visits the Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College
Miami, October 9, 2011 - The visit was particularly symbolic and moving as the Freedom Tower is a treasured place for Hispanics in South Florida, particularly the hundreds of thousands of Cuban exiles who were processed in its rooms during the 1960s and early 1970s. It is also a National Historic Landmark constructed in the Spanish Mediterranean Revival style with design elements borrowed from the Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain
MIAMI Oct. 9, 2011 – Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain visited the Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College on Sunday, October 9, where she met with more than 400 community leaders during a lunch reception hosted by MDC president Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón. In fact, she greeted every single guest personally in a receiving line with grace and elegance and remained at the event the whole time. She was introduced and lauded by Spain’s ambassador to the U.S. Jorge Dezcallar.
Queen Sofia’s visit is particularly symbolic and moving as the Freedom Tower at MDC is a treasured place for Hispanics in South Florida, especially the hundreds of thousands of Cuban exiles who were processed in its rooms during the 1960s and early 1970s. It is also a National Historic Landmark constructed in the Spanish Mediterranean Revival architectural style with design elements borrowed from the famous Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain. Moreover, the Map Room at the Freedom Tower, where the Queen’s reception took place, contains a giant mural restored in recent years depicting a meeting between Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon and a Tequesta chief in the New World.
MDC has a rich history of attracting visit from US Presidents, heads of state, and world leaders.
MDC media-only contacts: Juan Mendieta, MDC director of communications, 305-237-7611, jmendiet@mdc.edu; Tere Estorino, MDC director of media relations, 305-237-3949, testorin@mdc.edu; Sue Arrowsmith, 305-237-3710, sue.arrowsmith@mdc.edu; Alejandro Rios, 305-237-7482, arios1@mdc.edu, or Tarnell Carroll, 305-237-3359, tcarroll@mdc.edu.