Vela, José Chito, Jr., 1944-1999

Born in 1944 in Laredo, Texas, attorney José 'Chito' Vela, Jr., was raised in Laredo and graduated from Martin High School in December 1960. He attended Laredo Junior College before continuing at Texas A&I-Kingsville, where he was president of the Laredo Club, receiving his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government in 1965. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force upon graduating and worked as a Neighborhood Youth Community Field Coordinator for Southwest Texas State University. In 1968, he became the Model Cities Program Coordinator for the city of Waco, Texas, where he first met Ramsey Muñiz, and in 1969, he was appointed as Community Action Specialist for South Texas by Governor Preston Smith. He earned his law degree from the University of Houston in 1973 and joined the law firm of Huerta, Peña, and Muñiz in Corpus Christi, and worked in Austin for the Mexican American Council for Economic Progress in 1974 as legal counsel. He returned to Laredo to practice law in 1975. He was elected Justice of the Peace for Precinct 1 of Webb County, Texas in 1976, and was elected county commissioner for Precinct 3 in 1980. He continued his law practice until his death at the age of 55 in 1999, survived by his son, Jose Chito Vela III, who also became an attorney.

From the description of Oral history interview with José Chito Vela, Jr., 1997 [videorecording]. (University of Texas at Arlington). WorldCat record id: 427548358