Raymond Telles
Raymond L. Telles Jr. | |
---|---|
Mayor of El Paso | |
In office 1957–1961 | |
Preceded by | Tom E. Rogers |
Succeeded by | Ralph Seitsinger |
Personal details | |
Born | El Paso, Texas | September 5, 1915
Died | March 8, 2013 Sherman Oaks, California | (aged 97)
Resting place | El Paso, Texas |
Raymond L. Telles Jr. (September 5, 1915 – March 8, 2013) was the first Mexican-American Mayor of a major American city, El Paso, Texas.[1] He was also the first Hispanic appointed as a U.S. ambassador.
Telles was born and raised in the El Segundo Barrio neighborhood of El Paso, Texas.[2]
Educated as an accountant, Telles worked at the United States Department of Justice for eight years. He was drafted into the Army in 1941. Telles then served in the U.S. Army Air Force where he became Chief of the Lend-Lease Program for Central and South America. Telles left the service with the rank of major.
Telles received the
Telles was elected county clerk for El Paso County, Texas, in 1948.
In 1951, Telles was recalled for the
Telles was elected in 1957 mayor of El Paso and ran unopposed for a second term (1959–1961). He was appointed by President John F. Kennedy as Ambassador to Costa Rica. In 1967 President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Telles chairman of the U.S.-Mexican Border Commission.
In 1971, President Richard Nixon appointed him chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for the United States.
Personal life
Telles's daughter,
Telles died on March 8, 2013, in Sherman Oaks, California, at the age of 97.[5]
References
- OCLC 39513667.
- ^ Herrera, Jose Maria. "TSHA | Telles, Raymond Lorenzo, Jr". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
- ^ Mehren, Elizabeth (1992-04-13). "Coming Into Her Own : Cynthia Ann Telles inherited a zeal for public service. Now she's emerging as a Latino voice in L.A." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
- ^ Adkins, Lenore T. (16 June 2022). "U.S. ambassador to Costa Rica follows in her father's footsteps". ShareAmerica. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "Former Mayor Raymond L. Telles Sr. has died | News - Home". Kvia.com. 2013-02-22. Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
- This article incorporates facts obtained from: Lawrence Kestenbaum, The Political Graveyard