A Guide to the Henry B. Gonzalez Papers, Part 1

Biographical Note

Henry B. Gonzalez, a highly revered and outspoken San Antonio Congressman for nearly four decades, established a national reputation for public service and for his advocacy of economic justice and equality for all Americans. Known affectionately by thousands as “Henry B,” he left a legacy of achievements that shaped the American economy and society in the last half of the twentieth century.

Henry Gonzalez was born Enrique Barbosa Gonzalez in San Antonio, Texas, on May 3, 1916. His parents, Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa and Genoveva Barbosa Prince de Gonzalez, fled to San Antonio from the state of Durango in northern Mexico during the Mexican Revolution in 1911. Henry Gonzalez attended public schools and graduated from Jefferson High School in 1935. He continued his education at San Antonio College and the University of Texas before graduating from St. Mary’s Law School in 1943.

During World War II he was drafted into service and worked as a civilian cable and radio censor for military and naval intelligence. Following the war, Gonzalez worked as an assistant juvenile probation officer, where he began his long career of representing the underrepresented. Gonzalez worked tirelessly with the youth and gained attention giving long speeches on the need to reform the juvenile justice system. In 1946, he rose to the position of Chief Juvenile Probation Officer where he continued reform efforts that ultimately lead to improvements in arrest and detention procedures.

Gonzalez’s efforts to reform the juvenile system were part of a broader social movement against bigotry and segregation. Working with nationally recognized organizations such as the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the G.I. Forum, Gonzalez sought to bring together people who could mobilize as a united front against discrimination in all areas of society. In addition to national organizations, Gonzalez took on leadership roles in local groups ranging from the Boy Scouts to the Ladies Garment Worker’s Union. As a result, Gonzalez built a strong local following and was encouraged to run in the San Antonio City Council election of 1950. Although defeated, Gonzalez was heartened by the voter response.

In 1953, Gonzalez ran again and this time won election to the San Antonio City Council, serving as mayor pro-tempore for part of his first term. His tenure on the council was a continuation of his efforts in reform. He spoke out against segregation of public facilities, opposed the removal of alleged “communist-tinged” books from public libraries, and fought rate hikes by public utilities. In addition, he exposed a municipal corruption scheme. Gonzalez’s untiring efforts gained him a reputation as a “crusader of the people,” championing the ordinary citizen.

Elected to the Texas State Senate in 1956, Gonzalez lived up to his reputation as an opponent of discrimination. He and Senator Abraham Kazen attracted national attention for holding a thirty-six hour filibuster, the longest one in the history of the Texas Legislature. They succeeded in killing eight out of ten racial segregation bills aimed at circumventing the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Brown v. Board of Education case.

In 1958 Gonzalez ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Texas. Although an unlikely candidate, he drove across the state of Texas in the old family car, offering an alternative to the race between Governor Daniel and former governor W. Lee O'Daniel. He promised controversial measures, such as a tax on gas pipelines. During the 1960 presidential campaign, Gonzalez co-chaired John F. Kennedy’s “Viva Kennedy” effort, campaigning in eleven states, including Texas, where he helped him win the state.

Gonzalez was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a 1961 special election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Paul J. Kilday. With his election, he became the first Mexican-American from Texas to be elected to the U.S. Congress. Subsequently, for the next thirty-seven years, he faced few challenges in reelection bids. The few times he was challenged, he generally won with at least eighty percent of the vote. Although he wished to serve on the Armed Services Committee, Gonzalez was instead assigned to the Committee on Banking and Currency, where he worked in cooperation with another Texan, Wright Patman, to uncover hidden agendas and conflicts of interest buried within bills. He also continued his campaign for the people, introducing legislation unrelated to the Banking Committee, including an anti poll-tax bill(a tax paid for citizens to register to vote).

In 1963, Gonzalez received substantial publicity when he voted against additional appropriations for the House Committee on Un-American Activities, because it received more money than other committees that produced more reports and legislation. Gonzalez became known as a person of integrity, a hard worker, somewhat of a loner, but overall outgoing with a quick wit and, at times, a quick temper.

During his service on the Banking Committee, Gonzalez worked for the passage of a number of legislative proposals of the New Frontier and Great Society including the Housing Act of 1964. He worked on legislation that was eventually incorporated into the Equal Opportunities Act of 1964. He supported the Library Service Act of 1964. Gonzalez was one of only a handful of Texas Congressmen to vote in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. During the 1960's he successfully campaigned to put an end to the bracero program. The program allowed the use of foreign labor to harvest agricultural crops. Gonzalez helped expose the deplorable conditions and human rights abuses under which laborers worked as part of the bracero program.

“HemisFair '68,” held in San Antonio from April 6 through October 6, 1968, was the first officially designated international exposition in the southwestern United States. Gonzalez was an early proponent and successfully obtained federal support for the event. The fair was held in conjunction with the 250th anniversary of the founding of San Antonio. The theme of the fair was "The Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas." More than thirty nations hosted pavilions at the fair. The fair was built on a ninety-six acre site on the southeastern edge of downtown San Antonio. The project was partially developed with federal urban renewal funds and other public and private contributions. Decades after the fair concluded, Hemisfair Park remains an integral part of San Antonio’s downtown landscape.

In the 1970's Gonzalez continued with his crusades. He was instrumental in establishing a congressional committee to investigate the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. He also urged an investigation of the murder of Federal Judge John W. Wood in San Antonio. Gonzalez focused his attention primarily on domestic issues, and specifically on those that would provide a safer, more stable social environment. As a member of the House Small Business Committee, Gonzalez played a key role in salvaging the Robinson-Patman Act, which some consider to be the "Magna Carta" of small business. During this same time, Gonzalez opposed nuclear power and introduced legislation to phase out existing nuclear facilities. He also contributed to the modification of the Safe Drinking Water Act to mandate federal protection of urban aquifers and groundwater resources.

From 1971 to 1981, Gonzalez chaired the Banking Committee's Subcommittee on International Development, Institutions, and Finance. During this time he sponsored an amendment to a number of international banking bills, most notably, the "Gonzalez amendment.” The legislation called for protection for U.S. citizens from expropriation by countries that receive loans from international development institutions to which the U.S. contributes. In 1981, Gonzalez became the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Development, where he used his experience in public housing to bring about reform programs, increasing opportunities for families to get housing assistance. He also battled to improve public housing and establish legislation that would provide more guidance to families in danger of losing their homes.

Gonzalez was selected to chair the Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs Committee in the 1989. Under his leadership, the committee was able to enact several pieces of legislation favoring consumer groups, such as improved credit measures for small businesses, federal flood insurance reform, and increased accountability of the Federal Reserve. In addition, Gonzalez pushed for strengthening anti-money laundering laws and harsher punishment for bank fraud and other financial crimes.

Throughout the 1980’s, Chairman Gonzalez warned against the potential dangers of federal deregulation of the savings and loan industry. After his prediction became a reality, he was given the task of structuring the bailout legislation. He accepted the assignment on the condition that those responsible, both in the private sector and their legislative supporters, be publicly recognized for their wrongdoing. His efforts resulted in pressure from a number of his fellow Democrats to resign, but Gonzalez remained true to his cause. In 1991 he was successful in reforming the federal deposit insurance system. During his tenure as chairman, Gonzalez earned a reputation for being a fair leader who allowed equitable participation in the creation of bills, while reinforcing his legacy of championing the cause of the ordinary people affected by legislation he oversaw.

Gonzalez gained national attention once again in 1992, when he investigated loans made from President George Bush and his colleague James Baker to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. His investigation showed the three billion dollar loans supposedly designed to support Iraqi agricultural project were actually spent for weapons development. Gonzalez went on to oppose military action in the Persian Gulf during the 1991 Gulf War. He even called for Bush’s impeachment on the grounds that through his previous financial support of Hussein, the President had eliminated any chance of finding a peaceful resolution.

During his long congressional career, Gonzalez received numerous honors, including the National Alliance to End Homelessness Award, the Texas Civic Leadership Award, the B’Nai B’Rith National Humanitarian Award, the 1992 National Rural Housing Legislator of the Year, and the 1994 Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Foundation.

In 1998, thirty-seven years after first being elected, Gonzalez retired from congressional service. The Gonzalez political legacy continued as his son, Charles, succeeded him and has been subsequently re-elected. Gonzalez remained a public figure in San Antonio, receiving various accolades from public service organizations that continued to acknowledge the contribution he made as a crusader against “unprincipled privilege” and “entrenched special interests.”

Suffering from ill health and a weak heart, the elder Gonzalez died on November 28, 2000. Tributes came in from across the country, from high-ranking officials like President Bill Clinton, to local constituents expressing respect for a man who never forgot what he fought for, “decency, justice, and abhorrence for what is wrong an d intolerance for mediocrity.”

Sources:

Hamill, Pete. "Henry B. Gonzalez," in Caroline Kennedy, ed. Profiles in Courage for Our Time. New York: Hyperion Books, 2002

"Henry B. Gonzalez." Hispanic Americans in Congress. 14 January, 2005. Library of Congress. 15 August 2006. <http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/congress/gonzalez.html>

Pycior, Julie Leininger. "Henry B. Gonzalez," in Kenneth E. Hendrickson, Michael L. Collins, and Patrick Cox, eds. Profiles in Power: Twentieth-Century Texans in Washington. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1993.

Rodríguez, Eugene. Henry B. Gonzalez: A Political Profile. New York: Arno Press, 1976.

Scope and Contents

The Henry B. Gonzalez Papers includes over 500 cubic feet of correspondence, committee records, campaign files, schedules, personal schedules, appointments, legislative files, photographs, video and audiotapes, memorabilia and artifacts. The papers document Congressman Gonzalez’s years of public service as an elected official on the San Antonio City Council, the Texas State Senate, and the U.S. Congress, though the bulk of the records document his tenure as U.S. Representative from Texas (1961-1998).

Restrictions

These papers are stored remotely. Advance notice required for retrieval. Contact repository for retrieval.

Boxes identified as restricted may contain personnel information relating to employment or other private information, and must be reviewed by Archives staff prior to use.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Henry B. Gonzalez Papers, 1946-1998, The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Detailed Description of the Collection