Roland (Rolando) S. Arriola was born in 1948 and raised in Edinburg, Texas. He graduated from Edinburg High School in 1966, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and Junior Historians. He earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Baylor University, was active in the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) in Waco, and wrote for the 'Waco Tribune Herald.' He ran for a seat on the Waco City Council in 1975, and won a seat in 1977 which he held until his election as mayor in 1982, but also ran for the Texas Senate in 1980. He developed his own Spanish-language advertising and marketing company during Mark White's gubernatorial campaign and worked for the Texas Department of Community Affairs under Governor White from 1983 to 1985. Thereafter, he completed his Master of Public Administration from Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government while he worked for the Massachusetts Department of Commerce under Governor Michael Dukakis. He earned a Master of Public Policy and Administration from Baylor University and a Doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania. After returning to Texas from Harvard, he became director for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) in South Texas, a position he still held at the time of the interview. In 2008, he retired from his position as Vice President for External Affairs at the University of Texas-Pan American and as national chairman of Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology (HESTEC), and was serving as president of the Texas Valley Communities Foundation.
From the description of Oral history interview with Roland S. Arriola, 1999 [videorecording]. (University of Texas at Arlington). WorldCat record id: 429235371
