Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives. Special Investigation Committee on the Reburial of Felix Longoria.

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In June 1945, Private First Class Felix Longoria of Three Rivers in South Texas, was killed while on a volunteer mission on Luzon in the Philippines during World War II. His remains were not recovered until 1948 and were then shipped home for burial. In January 1949, the funeral director in Three Rivers and Longoria's widow, Beatrice Longoria, discussed the use of his chapel for her husband's services, and at that point their stories diverged. The funeral director would later claim the two agreed that discord among the Longoria family might cause a disturbance in the chapel, and so Longoria's house would be used for the service. Longoria said that the funeral director refused use of the chapel because the white population of Three Rivers would not want Mexican Americans to hold a service there. She discussed the matter with her sister, who put her in touch with Dr. Hector Garcia, founder of the American G.I. Forum, a civil rights organization for Mexican Americans. Garcia received the same rationale from the funeral director that Longoria claimed she did, and he brought the matter to the attention of U.S. Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, who quickly arranged for Felix Longoria to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The burial took place on February 16, 1949.

The next day, February 17, 1949, the Texas House of Representatives passed House Simple Resolution 68, 51st Texas Legislature, Regular Session, to create an investigating committee in regard to the reburial of Felix Longoria, to establish the accuracy of reports of discrimination in the matter which had received international publicity. The five-member committee consisted of Representatives Cecil Storey, chair; Tom Cheatham; James M. Windham; Byron R. Tinsley; and Frank Oltorf. On April 7, the committee filed two reports; the majority report concluded that no discrimination had taken place, while the minority report signed only by Oltorf held that the funeral director's words and actions were discriminatory.

(Sources include: the enabling legislation, the Handbook of Texas Online article on the Felix Longoria Affair, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/FF/vef1.html, accessed February 6, 2009, and the materials themselves.)

From the guide to the Special Investigation Committee on the Reburial of Felix Longoria reports and routing correspondence, 1949, (Texas State Archives)

See online finding aid for history of the Texas House of Representatives.

History of the Special Investigation Committee on the Reburial of Felix Longoria. In June 1945, Private First Class Felix Longoria of Three Rivers in South Texas, was killed while on a volunteer mission on Luzon in the Philippines during World War II. His remains were not recovered until 1948 and were then shipped home for burial. In January 1949, the funeral director in Three Rivers and Longoria's widow, Beatrice Longoria, discussed the use of his chapel for her husband's services, and at that point their stories diverged. The funeral director would later claim the two agreed that discord among the Longoria family might cause a disturbance in the chapel, and so Longoria's house would be used for the service. Longoria said that the funeral director refused use of the chapel because the white population of Three Rivers would not want Mexican Americans to hold a service there. She discussed the matter with her sister, who put her in touch with Dr. Hector Garcia, founder of the American G.I. Forum, a civil rights organization for Mexican Americans. Garcia received the same rationale from the funeral director that Longoria claimed she did, and he brought the matter to the attention of U.S. Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, who quickly arranged for Felix Longoria to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The burial took place on February 16, 1949. The next day, February 17, 1949, the Texas House of Representatives passed House Simple Resolution 68, 51st Texas Legislature, Regular Session, to create an investigating committee in regard to the reburial of Felix Longoria, to establish the accuracy of reports of discrimination in the matter which had received international publicity. The five-member committee consisted of Representatives Cecil Storey, chair; Tom Cheatham; James M. Windham; Byron R. Tinsley; and Frank Oltorf. On April 7, the committee filed two reports; the majority report concluded that no discrimination had taken place, while the minority report signed only by Oltorf held that the funeral director's words and actions were discriminatory. (Sources include: the enabling legislation, the Handbook of Texas Online article on the Felix Longoria Affair (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/FF/vef1.html), accessed February 6, 2009, and the materials themselves.)

From the description of Special Investigation Committee on the Reburial of Felix Longoria reports and routing correspondence, 1949. (Texas State Library & Archives Commission). WorldCat record id: 310732421