LULAC Council No. 2
Past Presidents
William Elizondo 1962
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PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENTS
3rd president - elected at the 1931 convention held in Edinburg, Texas. Served one term. Gonzales, a lawyer, for several years served LULAC national in many ways as legal counsel and as executive secretary. He was an employee of the Mexican consul in San Antonio, Texas, for several years. As an employee of the Mexican consul, he came face to face with problems of Mexican Americans that the Mexican government could not solve. |
The most obvious accomplishment of Gonzales' administration was the doubling of the councils from 24 to 48 in a year. However, organizing was not the only thrust of LULAC during those depression years.
During this period, LULAC began its crusade to change the system in the Texas counties of Sonora, Ozona, Uvalde and Dimmit that denied Mexican Americans service on grand and petit juries. At the same time, LULAC began to combat the segregation of Spanish speaking children in schools. This segregation caused LULAC to file its lawsuit against the Del Rio School District.
At a special convention held during his administration, the monument fund previously created in honor of Ben Garza changed to the Scholarship Fund.
Raoul Cortez
19th president - elected at the 1948 and 1949 conventions. Served two terms.
After an absence of 12 years, the national presidency returned to San Antonio Council #2 when Raoul, a long-time popular figure in the city was elected in 1948. As District 15 Director, he saw the successful conclusion of the Delgado case that ended school segregation of Mexican Americans in Texas.
As LULAC National President, Raoul traveled to Mexico City to talk with President Miguel Aleman and later to Washington, D.C. to talk to President Harry S. Truman. His mission, to speak in behalf of the much abused so-called "wetbacks" entering the United States to seek work. He was credited with influencing improvements in the contractual agreements between the Mexican and the United States governments regulating the 'Bracero Program.'
Raoul owned radio station KCOR in San Antonio, being the first person to promote radio in the Spanish language in the United States. His dream was always to be the first to have a Spanish-language television station.
James "Jimmie" Tafolla
James "Jimmie" Tafolla was born in Bexar County on August 31, 1898. "His father helped start the struggle for recognition of Mexican Americans as Americans, during the time when it took real guts to stand up for your rights," as reported LULAC News.
"Jimmie was one of those who in their youth literally pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. He is a worthy son of a worthy father; you remember, that old-line tradition of the 'chip off the old block'," reported LULAC News.
Jimmy attended the San Antonio public schools and later graduated from the John K. Weber School of Law in San Antonio and passed his bar exam. He set up his private law practice in San Antonio and later served as assistant district attorney of Bexar County for many years.
Jimmie was one of the best known attorneys, the 'dean' of Latin American attorneys of San Antonio from the standpoint of ethical and civic service to the community," reported LULAC News.
The story goes that one afternoon a judge asked Jimmie why some Mexicans resented being called Mexicans. Jimmie replied, "Judge, I am going to give you a bit of back history," and then answered, "My great grandfather, my grandfather, my father, as I and my children, are native born American citizens. Five generations of native born citizens of this country. Now, do you think my children ought to be called 'Mexicans'?" The old judge just smiled and said, "I guess you're right, Jimmie."
Frank Valdez
27th president - elected at the 1961 convention held in El Paso, Texas and at the 1962 convention held in Anaheim, California. Served two terms.
Valdez, a registered architect, was National President during a time of reorganization. During his administration, LULAC was in 17 states and plans to expand into other states began immediately. A start to offer a life insurance program to LULAC members began, although subsequent administrations did not make this a reality.
Appropriately, this was the beginning of LULAC's venture into housing with the purchase of the project in El Paso. Valdes was the architect on several other LULAC housing developments - San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Sinton, Texas.
Valdes started his practice as an architect in 1952, heading his own firm in San Antonio since his graduation the same year from the University of Texas with a bachelor's degree in that field. His firm designed many buildings in the city of San Antonio. His designs include; the federal office building, the Texas Employment Commission building, several schools and churches, and a solar-cooled elementary school.
Valdes held many important offices in LULAC. He was the president and secretary-treasurer of LULAC Council #2. He was State Director of the Texas LULAC organization. Other positions that he has held include,
• Member of the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Urban Renewal Agency
• Member of the San Antonio Planning Commission
• Member of the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Public Broadcasting Television Station
• Member of the Board of Directors of the Folkloric Festival of the Institute of Texan Culture
• Member of the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Symphony
• Past President of Sembradores de Amistad
• Member of the American Institute of Architects
• Member of the San Antonio and of the Texas Society of Architects
He married Magdalena Valdes of Leguna Beach, California. He and his wife had four children - Frank, Lance, Janina, and Damian Omar.