Ezequiel D. Salinas

Last updated
Ezequiel David Salinas, Sr.
Judge of the 111th State District Court in Laredo, Texas
In office
1951–1974
President of the League of United Latin American Citizens
In office
1939–1940
Preceded byFilemon T. Martinez
Succeeded byAntonio M. Fernandez
Personal details
Born(1908-03-20)March 20, 1908
Laredo, Webb County
Texas, USA
DiedMarch 13, 2007(2007-03-13) (aged 98)
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s)(1) Elvira Salinas (died 1982)
(2) Angelina Casso de Salinas
ChildrenElvira Luisa Salinas (deceased)

E.D. Salinas, II (deceased)

Edward R. Salinas
Occupation Attorney
Military service
Branch/service U.S. Foreign Service in Montevideo, Uruguay

Ezequiel David Salinas, Sr. (March 20, 1908 - March 13, 2007), was a Mexican American Democratic state court judge from Laredo, the seat of Webb County in south Texas, known for his advocacy of civil rights for the Hispanic community. In the late 1940s, Salinas was defeated in a race for the Texas House of Representatives but was elected to the 111th District Court in 1950. He served in that position until 1974.

Democratic Party (United States) Major political party in the United States

The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with its rival, the Republican Party. Tracing its heritage back to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison's Democratic-Republican Party, the modern-day Democratic Party was founded around 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party.

Judge official who presides over court proceedings

A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and, typically, in an open court. The judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility and arguments of the parties, and then issues a ruling on the matter at hand based on his or her interpretation of the law and his or her own personal judgment. In some jurisdictions, the judge's powers may be shared with a jury. In inquisitorial systems of criminal investigation, a judge might also be an examining magistrate.

Laredo, Texas City in Texas, United States

Laredo is a city in and the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Laredo has the distinction of flying seven flags. Founded in 1755, Laredo grew from a village to the capital of the brief Republic of the Rio Grande to the largest inland port on the Mexico–United States border. Laredo's economy is based on international trade with Mexico. Many major transportation companies have a facility in Laredo. The city is on the southern end of I-35 which makes it close to the manufacturers in northern Mexico. It has four international bridges and one railway bridge.

Salinas was born to Ezequiel Salinas (1883–1976) and the former Luisa Gonzalez (1888–1972) of Laredo. He attended public schools and graduated from the former Laredo High School, thereafter Martin High School before he headed for the University of Texas to study law. He was awarded an E.D. Farmer International Scholarship in international law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City.

Raymond & Tirza Martin High School, known as Martin High School, is a secondary school in the Laredo independent school District in Laredo, Texas, United States. Grades 9–12 are taught there. It serves students living in central Laredo. The school is adjacent to the Laredo Civic Center.

International law Regulations governing international relations

International law, also known as public international law and law of nations, is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally accepted in relations between nations. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for states to follow across a broad range of domains, including war, diplomacy, trade, and human rights. International law thus provides a mean for states to practice more stable, consistent, and organized international relations.

National Autonomous University of Mexico public research university in Mexico

The National Autonomous University of Mexico is a public research university in Mexico. It ranks highly in world rankings based on the university's extensive research and innovation. UNAM's campus is a UNESCO World Heritage site that was designed by some of Mexico's best-known architects of the 20th century. Murals in the main campus were painted by some of the most recognized artists in Mexican history, such as Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros. In 2016, it had an acceptance rate of only 8%. UNAM generates a number of strong research publications and patents in diverse areas, such as robotics, computer science, mathematics, physics, human-computer interaction, history, philosophy, among others. All Mexican Nobel laureates are either alumni or faculty of UNAM.

He wrote numerous articles on civil rights during the early years of his law practice. In 1939, Salinas became the eleventh president, and the first Laredoan, of the national interest group, the League of United Latin American Citizens. In 1955, another prominent Laredoan, Oscar M. Laurel, assumed the LULAC presidency for a single one-year term. During the 1940s and 1950s, Salinas worked to establish LULAC chapters in parts of Texas where none had previously existed. He was instrumental in persuading contemporaries in Austin to rid Texas of the poll tax, which was finally ended nationally through the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution coupled with the Harper v. Virginia U.S. Supreme Court decision of 1966.

League of United Latin American Citizens Organization

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the oldest surviving Latino civil rights organization in the U.S. It was established on February 17, 1929, in Corpus Christi, Texas, largely by Hispanic veterans of World War I who sought to end ethnic discrimination against Latinos in the United States. LULAC was a consolidation of smaller, like-minded civil rights groups nbs

already in existence. With a goal of achieving assimilation, the organization initially admitted only United States citizens as members. The organization has a national headquarters, active councils in many states, and a professional staff.

Oscar Manuel Laurel, Sr., was an attorney, businessman, and Hispanic Democratic politician from Laredo, Texas, whose legendary public speaking excited his party's faithful. "He had a great talent for words," said Hector Garcia, a former Laurel business partner. Vidal M. Treviño, late superintendent of the Laredo independent school District, called Laurel "the best orator we have ever had." Laurel was one of five Laredoans to have served as president of the Hispanic interest group, the League of United Latin American Citizens, having been president of the organization for 1955–1956.

From 1935 to 1942, Salinas was an assistant district attorney in Webb County. He was also the attorney for the Laredo Housing Authority. In the latter capacity, Salinas worked to establish the first affordable housing complex in Laredo located at the intersection of Park Street and Interstate 35.

District attorney In the United States, represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses

In the United States, a district attorney (DA) is the chief prosecutor for a local government area, typically a county. The exact name of the office varies by state.

Interstate 35 Interstate from Texas to Minnesota

Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north-south route stretching from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican-American border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. The highway splits into Interstate 35E and Interstate 35W in two separate places, the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas and at the Minnesota twin cities of Minneapolis–Saint Paul.

Odie Arambula, of the Laredo Morning Times , refers to a 1937 newspaper article in the then Laredo Times which described Salinas as "one of the brightest young men in Laredo fitted for the great future that appears in store for him."

<i>Laredo Morning Times</i> newspaper in Laredo, Texas

The Laredo Morning Times is a daily newspaper publication based in Laredo, Texas, USA. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation.

At the outbreak of World War II, Salinas joined the U.S. Foreign Service and was a special assistant to the ambassador in Montevideo, Uruguay.

World War II 1939–1945, between Axis and Allies

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from more than 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 70 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment. The word is also often used more liberally for persons who are known, without national appointment, to represent certain professions, activities and fields of endeavor such as sales.

Montevideo Capital of Uruguay

Montevideo is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 in an area of 201 square kilometres (78 sq mi). The southernmost capital city in the Americas, Montevideo is situated on the southern coast of the country, on the northeastern bank of the Río de la Plata.

Salinas' former 111th court shared concurrent jurisdiction with the original 49th District Court. Salinas was assigned mostly civil cases and doubled as the juvenile court.

Salinas challenged Webb County government during a dispute in the 1960s in which he charged that the county commissioners were not adhering to state law in certain operations, as recommended by the county auditor, who was an appointee of the district court. He and the judge of the 49th District Court embroiled in a dispute with the county judge and commissioners in proceedings that news accounts called the "Battle of the Judges". In one instance, Arambula recalled that Judge Salinas summoned more than fifty business and civic leaders to hear testimony in a court of inquiry into operations of the Webb County road and bridge department. Salinas also presided over an investigation into management of a juvenile detention facility which was operated as part of the county jail.

Salinas was preceded in death by his first wife, Elvira Salinas (1909–1982); a daughter, Elvira Luisa Salinas, and a son, Dr. E. D. Salinas, Jr. (1938–1992). Survivors included his second wife, Angelina Casso de Salinas (born ca. 1913); his son and daughter-in-law, Edward R. Salinas and Cira R Salinas, and granddaughter, Cira E. Salinas. Other surviving grandchildren are Dr. Ezequiel D Salinas, III, Christina Salinas Castillon, and Dr. Adriana Salinas Gonzalez.

Preceded by
Filemon T. Martinez of Albuquerque, New Mexico
President of the League of United Latin American Citizens

Ezequiel David Salinas, Sr., of Laredo, Texas
19391940

Succeeded by
Antonio M. Fernandez of Santa Fe, New Mexico

Related Research Articles

Webb County, Texas U.S. county in Texas

Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 250,304. Its county seat is Laredo. The county was named after James Webb, who served as Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of State, and Attorney General of the Republic of Texas, and later judge of the United States District Court following the admission of Texas to statehood. By area, Webb County is the largest county in South Texas and the sixth largest in the state.

Henry Cuellar American politician

Henry Roberto Cuellar is the U.S Representative for Texas's 28th congressional district, a position he has held since 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district extends from the Rio Grande to the suburbs of San Antonio.

Edmund J. Davis Union Army General

Edmund Jackson Davis was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician. He was a Southern Unionist and a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He also served for one term from 1870 to 1874 as the 14th Governor of Texas.

United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas United States district court

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas is the Federal district court with jurisdiction over the southern part of Texas. The court's headquarters is in Houston, Texas and has six additional offices in the district.

Raul G. Salinas American mayor and businessman

Raúl González Salinas is a private security consultant, a businessman, and a retired Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who is the former mayor of Laredo, Texas.

Judith Zaffirini Texas politician

Judith Pappas Zaffirini is a Democratic member of the Texas State Senate from the 21st District, which includes her home city of Laredo in south Texas. On January 9, 2007, Zaffirini became the second in seniority in the 31-member Texas Senate, of which she has been a member since 1987. Zaffirini has been named among the "Top 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the United States" by Hispanic Business magazine. Zaffirini is the first Mexican American woman elected to the Texas Senate.

Washingtons Birthday Celebration

The Washington's Birthday Celebration (WBCA) is an almost month-long event held each February in Laredo, the seat of Webb County in south Texas, that celebrates the birthday of George Washington. It is the largest celebration of its kind in the United States with approximately 400,000 attendees annually. The celebration consists of various festivals; a Society of Martha Washington Colonial Pageant and Ball, Princess Pocahontas Pageant and Ball, two parades, a carnival, an air show, fireworks, live concerts, "Fun-Fest" at Laredo Community College, and a citywide prom during which many of the Laredo elite dress in Colonial attire. Each year a prominent Laredo man and woman play the roles of George and Martha Washington. One of its main events, the Jalapeño Festival, has recently been named one of Top 10 eating festivals in the United States.

Dr. Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa High School is a public high school located in Laredo Independent School District in Laredo in Webb County in south Texas. Grades nine through twelve are taught there. It serves students living in south Laredo. It has a student population of about 1,300. The school's namesake is a late medical doctor.

Robert Lee Bobbitt, Sr., was an attorney and Democratic politician from San Antonio, Texas, who served in the first half of the 20th century as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, Attorney General of Texas, and chairman of the Texas Highway Department.

Alicia Dickerson Montemayor American Latino activist

Alicia Dickerson Montemayor was an American civil rights activist from Laredo, Texas, the first woman elected to a national office not specifically designated for a woman, having served as vice president general of the interest group, the League of United Latin American Citizens. She was the first woman to serve as associate editor of the LULAC newspaper and the first to write a charter to fund a LULAC youth group. Montemayor urged the inclusion of girls and women into Latin American activism and also promoted the interests of middle-class Mexican-Americans. and she is a designated honoree of Women's History Month of the National Women's History Project.

Elma Teresa Salinas Ender is an American attorney, who was the youngest woman and the first Hispanic female to serve as a state district court judge in the U.S. state of Texas. In the month of her thirtieth birthday, Ender was appointed by then Governor Mark Wells White as the first judge of the then newly established 341st Judicial District, based in her native Laredo in Webb County in south Texas. Salinas served for twenty-nine years in the judicial position prior to her retirement, announced in 2011 and effective on December 31, 2012. She hence set a record of longevity among the four Webb County justices serving in recent decades on the state courts, Districts 49, 111, 341, and 406, numbered in order of creation by the Texas Legislature.

Saint Joseph's Academy, sometimes referred to as St. Joe or SJA, was a private school started by the Marist Brothers of the Schools. It was located in Laredo, Texas, United States, and served junior high and high school students in Laredo and the surrounding areas.

Mario Santos, Jr., was from 1977 to 1988 the sheriff of Webb County in South Texas. During his tenure, the county built its current jail and detention center.

Louis Henry Bruni is a businessman, rancher, politician, and the scion of a pioneer family in his native Laredo, Texas. From 2003 to 2006, he was the elected administrative County Judge of Webb County in South Texas.

Charles Robert Borchers, known as Charlie Borchers, was a lawyer from Laredo, Texas, who served from 1973 to 1980 as the district attorney of the 49th Judicial District, which then included Dimmit, Webb, and Zapata counties in South Texas.

Peter Arguindegui American oilman

Peter Ramon Arguindegui, Jr., born Pedro Ramon Arguindegui, Jr., sometimes known as Pete Arguindegui, was an oilman, politician, civic leader, and philanthropist in his native Laredo, Texas.

Ramón H. Dovalina

Ramón Humberto Dovalina, Sr., is the retired fifth president of Laredo Community College, a two-year institution with the main campus on the grounds of historic Fort McIntosh on the Rio Grande in his native Laredo in Webb County in South Texas. With service from July 5, 1995, until August 31, 2007, Dovalina left the position with two years remaining in his contract, much to the surprise of his academic colleagues. Under Dovalina, the physical appearance of the college was upgraded, the scholarship endowment fund increased from $100,000 in 1995 to more than $1 million in 2007, the institution advanced a 10-year master plan for new technology, and a $50 million South Campus was opened.

References

http://www.lmtonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18081905&BRD=2290&PAG=461&dept_id=569392&rfi=6 [ dead link ]

http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi

Odie Arambula, Laredo Morning Times

https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014635/http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Salinas_Ezequiel_27008357.aspx