A Guide to the Rosita Fernandez Papers, 1925-2000

Biographical Note

Rosita Fernandez, a long time San Antonian and pioneer of Tejano music, gained international fame as a recording artist and movie star. Born in Monterrey, Mexico, in 1919, Rosita was one of sixteen children and daughter of a military officer. She was educated in Laredo, Texas, and moved to San Antonio with her family when she was nine. Rosita married Raul Almaguer of San Antonio in 1938, and with him raised son Raul Javier Almaguer and daughter Diana Rosa Orellana. Devoted to her family, Rosita chose to remain in San Antonio despite her blossoming career in movies. As Rosita Fernandez's popularity grew, she became known by fans simply as "Rosita."

In over sixty years of entertaining, Rosita performed Mexican ballads for foreign and U.S. dignitaries including Pope John Paul II, Prince Charles, and five U.S. presidents. Rosita performed at President Carter's inauguration, and often sang for guests of President and Lady Bird Johnson. It was Lady Bird Johnson who bestowed upon Rosita the title "San Antonio's First Lady of Song" in 1968 at a special performance for 40 ambassadors at the Arneson River Theatre. It was also in 1968 that Rosita was named an international ambassador for HemisFair, the world's fair held in San Antonio that year. She recorded the song "San Antonio: Ciudad de Encantos" for the event.

Rosita's career began in the 1920s when she started singing with her uncles in the Trio San Miguel. After moving to San Antonio as a young girl, Rosita continued to tour with her uncles in tent shows across south Texas. With the increased popularity of radio, Rosita auditioned and became the lead in a 1932 W.O.A.I. radio show. By the following year, Rosita was the voice in several radio commercial jingles. As a recording artist, Rosita made hundreds of recordings and was on the RCA, Decca, and Brunswick labels, among others. Rosita was also a pioneer in television, appearing in San Antonio's first television broadcast on W.O.A.I.-TV, and performing on a weekly basis in several subsequent television programs. Among the notable stars Rosita worked with are Xavier Cugat, Garry Moore, Dean Martin, Joan Crawford, and Ed Sullivan. Expanding into movie roles, Rosita's largest part was as the leading lady in Disney's 1963 Sancho, the Homing Steer, based on J. Frank Dobie's true story. Rosita also appeared in the 1960 John Wayne film, The Alamo, and had parts in Three Hundred Miles for Stephanie, and Seguin.

Locally, Rosita was best known and loved for her performances at the summer-long Fiesta Noche del Rio at Arneson River Theatre in San Antonio. She began at the theatre in the late 1950s, dressed in elaborate and colorful costumes, many of which she made herself. She also was a main attraction at A Night in Old San Antonio, another popular Fiesta event during April each year. Rosita officially retired in 1982 after entertaining for over sixty years. In retirement, she traveled abroad with her husband and continued to sing for charity benefits several times a year. Rosita and her husband also became spokespersons for Secure Horizons, a senior insurance health plan.

As a humanist interested in advancing art and culture, Rosita championed the cause for education. She also promoted and supported charitable causes by performing at fundraisers for the March of Dimes, Brooke Army Medical Center's Burn Unit, and local Catholic, Jewish and Protestant churches, schools, and organizations.

Rosita received numerous awards in appreciation of her dedication, talent, and loyalty to San Antonio. Among the most visible is the "Rosita Bridge" named in her honor, which spans the San Antonio River at the Arneson River Theatre. The bridge was dedicated to Rosita by city officials in 1982 and filmed by a Japanese television company for a special on the world's bridges. Rosita was inducted into San Antonio's Musicians Hall of Fame in 1979, was proclaimed Woman of the Year by Mayor Henry Cisneros in 1983 and was inducted into the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame in 1984. Rosita passed away in 2006.

Scope and Content Note

The collection contains honors and awards, photographs and photo albums, scrapbooks, publicity materials, correspondence, ephemera, and audiovisual materials. The records document her over sixty-year musical career, and performances on film, television, radio, and stage. The bulk of the collection consists of Rosita's honors and awards in the form of plaques, but also award ceremony programs, certificates, proclamations, and trophies. The papers trace Rosita's career from the early days in radio to her work in television and movie productions, through to her retirement in 1982 and subsequent activities. Rosita's papers are divided into seven series: Honors and Awards, Photographs and Photo Albums, Scrapbook, Publicity, Correspondence, Ephemera, and Audiovisual material.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Researchers are required to wear gloves provided by the Archives when reviewing photographic materials.

Original audiovisual materials are closed to patron use.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish from the collection must be obtained from the Archives and Special Collections, University of Texas at San Antonio Library.

Separated Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Rosita Fernandez Papers, 1925-2000, MS 18, Archives and Special Collections, University of Texas at San Antonio Library.

Acquisition Information

Received as a gift from Rosita Fernandez in 1996 and 2001 (Acc. 1996-008, 2001-003).

Processing Information

Processed by Toni Jeske, Processing Archivist, February 1999, and Tatina Wulzer, Collections Assistant, May 2008.

Detailed Description of the Collection