Gonzales, Adán V.,

Adán V. Gonzales was born in Sugarland, Texas in 1928. His family lived in Dinero, Texas and worked for rancher Holman Cartwright for a time before moving to Beeville, Texas. Mr. Gonzales quit school in tenth grade. He developed an interest in politics and furthering opportunities for Mexican Americans prior to his being drafted into military service. When he returned to Beeville, he worked at Chase Field (later the U.S. Naval Air Station-Beeville). He was the first Mexican American to open a commercial lending company in Beeville. In 1966, he was first elected to the newly added office of Justice of the Peace in Bee County. He was first elected as a county commissioner in 1970 and served in that office for 18 years. He was affiliated with the Democratic Party, the Political Association of Spanish-speaking Organizations (PASSO), and the Viva Kennedy Clubs.