Romualdo Pacheco

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Romualdo Pacheco
12th Governor of California
In office February 27, 1875 – December 9, 1875
Lieutenant	William Irwin (Acting)
Preceded by	Newton Booth
Succeeded by	William Irwin
12th Lieutenant Governor of California
In office December 8, 1871 – February 27, 1875
Governor	Newton Booth
Preceded by	William Holden
Succeeded by	William Irwin (Acting)
7th California State Treasurer
In office October 10, 1863 – December 7, 1867
Governor	Leland Stanford Frederick Low
Preceded by	Delos R. Ashley
Succeeded by	Antonio F. Coronel
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 4th district
In office March 4, 1879 – March 4, 1883
Preceded by	Peter D. Wigginton
Succeeded by	Pleasant B. Tully
In office March 4, 1877 – February 7, 1878
Preceded by	Peter D. Wigginton
Succeeded by	Peter D. Wigginton
Diplomatic offices United States Minister to Guatemala In office February 28, 1891 – June 12, 1893 President Benjamin Harrison Preceded by Lansing B. Mizner Succeeded by Pierce M. B. Young
Personal details
Born	José Antonio Romualdo Pacheco (1831-10-31)October 31, 1831 Santa Barbara, Alta California, Mexico
Died	January 23, 1899(1899-01-23) (aged 67) Oakland, California, United States
Political party	Democratic (Before 1860) National Union (1860–1868) Republican (1868–1889)
Spouse	Mary McIntire Pacheco
Children	Maybella Ramona Romualdo Jr.
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Rank	Brigadier General
Battles/wars	American Civil War

José Antonio Romualdo Pacheco (October 31, 1831 – January 23, 1899) was a

Pacheco's association with a prominent family in the state helped him to gain support as he entered politics in the 1850s. He was also well respected by Anglos coming into the area. Early in his political career in the 1850s, he was a Democrat. He became affiliated with the National Union Party in the 1860s, but was elected to most of his positions as a candidate for the Republican Party.

In 1853, at age 22, Pacheco successfully sought the position of

Pacheco served as state treasurer from 1863 to 1867, then returned to the State Senate until becoming lieutenant governor. He served as Lieutenant Governor of California under Newton Booth until Booth was elected to the United States Senate in 1875. Pacheco then served as governor from February 27 to December 9, 1875, when Lieutenant Governor William Irwin, winner in the September elections that year, was inaugurated.

After briefly serving as governor, Pacheco ran for a U.S. House seat, defeating incumbent Peter D. Wigginton by just one vote. Wigginton contested the election, eventually forcing Pacheco to leave in 1878 when the House Committee on Elections refused Pacheco's certificate of election. Returning to California, he went into business until winning a House seat again in September 1879. He was reelected in 1880.

Diplomacy and death

After leaving Congress, Pacheco lived on a

He returned to California in 1893, and he died in Oakland, at the home of his brother-in-law, in 1899. He is buried in at Mountain View Cemetery.^[7]

Personal life

On October 31, 1863, he married Mary McIntire, a 22-year-old playwright.^[8] They had three children, Maybella Ramona, Romualdo, and Enrique.

Legacy

Pacheco served not only as the first Hispanic to hold the office of Governor of California, but the only one to do so in California's history as a state. He is also remembered for being the first Latino to represent a state in the U.S. Congress. Latinos had served as non-voting delegates of territories before, but Pacheco was the first full-voting Latino member of Congress.

He was reported to be the last

• List of governors of California
• Hispanic and Latino conservatism in the United States
• List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
• List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States

References

Sources

• Nicholson, Loren (1990). Romualdo Pacheco's California!. San Luis Obispo: California Heritage Publishing Associates.
  ISBN 0-9623233-2-2
  .
• Ronald Genini & Richard Hitchman, Romualdo Pacheco: A Californio in Two Eras, The Book Club of California:1985. LC Control#86101529

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Romualdo Pacheco.

• Romualdo Pacheco at the California State Library
• Romualdo Pacheco at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Romualdo Pacheco at the Library of Congress

Political offices
Preceded by Delos R. Ashley	Treasurer of California 1863–1867	Succeeded by Antonio F. Coronel
Preceded by William Holden	Lieutenant Governor of California 1871–1875	Succeeded by William Irwin (Acting)
Preceded by Newton Booth	Governor of California 1875
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Peter D. Wigginton	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 4th congressional district 1877–1878	Succeeded by Peter D. Wigginton
	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 4th congressional district 1879–1883	Succeeded by Pleasant B. Tully
Preceded by Thomas M. Gunter	Chair of the House Private Land Claims Committee 1881–1883	Succeeded by Henry L. Muldrow
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Lansing B. Mizner	United States Minister to Guatemala 1891–1893	Succeeded by Pierce M. B. Young
	United States Minister to Honduras 1891–1893
	United States Minister to El Salvador 1891	Succeeded by Richard C. Shannon
	United States Minister to Costa Rica 1891
	United States Minister to Nicaragua 1891