- Person
Felix Jay was born in Berlin, Germany on 29 September 1905. After receiving a doctorate in Roman and modern law from the University of Leipzig, he accepted a position as a public relations lawyer in London. He joined the British Army in 1941 and served until 1953. His last appointment at the rank of major was Assistant Commandant, Army College, Aldershot.
After retiring from the military, Dr. Jay earned a BA degree in languages and history from the University of London in 1953. In that same year, he accepted a position in adult education at the University of Southampton serving first as tutor and subsequently as senior lecturer until 1970.
In 1972, Dr. Jay played an instrumental role in the founding of the American institution, Richmond College, in London. He served as its first comptroller and later as director of studies. Between 1974 and 1981, Dr. Jay moved on to the position of director of admissions for the American Institute of Foreign Studies. Frequent and prolonged stays in Latin American countries during those years supported Dr. Jay's interest in the history of Mesoamerican and South American countries. After retiring in 1981, Dr. Jay devoted himself to research and writing on the Indian and Spanish colonial Latin American past.
In 1997, Dr. Jay published Sin, crimes, and retribution in early Latin America: a translation and critique of sources - Lope de Aguirre, Francisco de Carvajal, Juan Rodríguez Freyle. Two years later, he published Historia eclesisatica indiana: a Franciscan's view of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, which includes a translation of the writings of Geronimo de Mendieta and others. Both titles were published by Edwin Mellen Press.
Dr. Jay resides in Dorset, England.