Oral history interview with Louis Zapata, 1997 [videorecording].

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Oral history interview with Louis Zapata, 1997 [videorecording].

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50498204

The interview begins with a discussion of Mr. Zapata's family history and genealogy. Mr. Zapata credits his leadership and organizational abilities to his experience as a union member when he was employed as a printer with Bell Helicopter. He elaborates upon his work with the U.S. State Department and the Mexican government to eradicate Mexican marijuana field production. Mr. Zapata describes how his campaigns were conducted and financed and how he went into considerable debt trying to stay in elected public office. He talks about his 14-year service on the Fort Worth City Council and he tells why he was defeated. Mr. Zapata discusses his involvement with the formation of the Hispanic Elected Local Officials (HELO) organization in 1976 where he served for seven years as its chairman. He also elaborates upon how he became a member of the Board of Directors for the National League of Cities, the parent organization of HELO. Mr. Zapata gives details about his membership in the Mexican American Democrats (MAD) organization and its split resulting in the formation of the Tejano Democrats. He describes his accomplishments while he was Chairman of Board of Directors for the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and he concludes the interview by discussing his work with congressman Jim Wright for the preservation and renovation of the Fort Worth Stockyards.

2 videocassettes (VHS) (1 hr., 24 min.) : col. ; 1/2 in.Transcript : 61 p. ; 28 cm.

University of Texas at Arlington, Central Library

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 7626109

University of Texas at Arlington, Central Library

Related Entities

There are 12 Entities related to this resource.

University of Texas at Arlington. Center for Mexican American Studies

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63c6s61 (corporateBody)

Zapata, Louis (Jose Luis Zapata-Miranda), 1934-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bc6nhk (person)

Born October 5, 1934 in Fort Worth Texas. He is the first Mexican American elected to the Fort Worth City Council. From the description of Oral history interview with Louis Zapata, 1997 [videorecording]. (University of Texas at Arlington). WorldCat record id: 50498204 ...

Gutiérrez, José Angel,

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62r404b (person)

José Angel Gutierrez was born Oct. 25, 1944, in Crystal City, Texas. An activist, educator, organizer, and lawyer, Gutierrez co-founded the La Raza Unida Party and played many leadership roles in the early Chicano civil rights movement. He served as President of the Crystal City Independent School District Board in the early 1970s and as a County Judge for Zavala County, Tex. (1975-1980). In the 1980s, Gutierrez pursued a teaching career and moved to Oregon where he taught at Colegio Cesar Chav...

Zapata, Louis (Jose Luis Zapata-Miranda), 1934-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bc6nhk (person)

Born October 5, 1934 in Fort Worth Texas. He is the first Mexican American elected to the Fort Worth City Council. From the description of Oral history interview with Louis Zapata, 1997 [videorecording]. (University of Texas at Arlington). WorldCat record id: 50498204 ...

Zapata family.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6c059fp (family)

National League of Cities

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Wright, Jim, 1922-2015

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6k948wp (person)

Jim Wright was born in Fort Worth in 1922 and spent his childhood in Texas and Oklahoma before attending Weatherford College and the University of Texas. Wright enlisted in the Army Air Corps during World War II and received his flyer’s wings and an officer’s commission at the age of nineteen. He flew combat missions in the South Pacific and received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Legion of Merit. Wright began his political career after the war. He joined the Young Democrats of Texas ...

Tejano Democrats.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6p908k2 (corporateBody)

Bell helicopter corporation

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63j7kwm (corporateBody)

Fort Worth (Tex.). City Council

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Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

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Hispanic Elected Local Officials (HELO)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bw3ddc (corporateBody)