Raymond L. Telles
Raymond L. Telles
Raymond L. Telles
Raymond L. Telles (1915-2013) was the first Mexican-American elected mayor of El Paso. He was known as a pioneer in El Paso politics, a friend and close adviser of President John F. Kennedy and a former ambassador to Costa Rica. Telles devoted his life to public service, serving four times as El Paso County clerk and twice as El Paso mayor (1957-1961). He also devoted more than 30 years of service in the military and as a civilian troubleshooter and adviser for the federal government. Over the years, Telles was widely applauded for challenging the political circles dominated by whites in El Paso in the 1940s and 1950s and for disproving the notion that Mexican-Americans could not be elected to public office or effectively run a city. A symbol of dignity, Telles has been most applauded as the leader who gave Mexican-Americans a voice in El Paso politics. Telles received numerous recognitions in his lifetime, including recognition in 2006 as Mayor Emeritus of El Paso. He died in 2013 at an age of 97.
Report this entry
More from the same community-collection
Dale Resler - El Paso Kiwanis Club Award - 1954
Dale Resler - El Paso Kiwanis Club Award - 1954 A special ...
Duchesses - Queen Nancy Saunders Court - 1955 - El Paso, Texas
Queen Nancy Saunders Court in 1955. Duchesses, L-R, Nancy ...
Queen Nancy Saunders - Being Crowned - 1955
Queen Nancy Saunders - being crowned by President Tom Patterson ...
Queen Ruth Katherine Fulwiler - 1956 - El Paso, Texas
Sun Bowl Queen Ruth Katherine Fulwiler in Processional - 1956 - ...
Sun Carnival Coronation Ball - 1950 - 1960
Sun Carnival Coronation Ball - left to right - Jim and Marta ...
Board of Directors - 1957- YMCA
B.A. Pendley, Bob Bruce, Morris Donaldson, H.D. Fulwiler, Skippy ...
Southwestern Children's Home Board of Directors - 1957
Southwestern Children's Home Board of Directors - 1957 Seated ...
State National Bank Board of Directors - El Paso, Texas - 1959
This picture of the board was probably taken around 1959. Front ...
Scottish Rite - Dale Resler - 1959
From left to right - Hardin Louis Atkins Jr., the next two are ...
Peter DeWetter Presents Girl Scout Bronze Statue to Dale Resler
Peter DeWetter presents Girl Scout Bronze Statue to Dale Resler ...
Admiral In The El Paso Navy - 1970
Dale Resler receives the Admiral In The El Paso Navy from the ...
Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company Board - 1971
Members of the 1971 Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph ...
State National Bank Building - 1972 - El Paso, Texas
Building the State National Bank Plaza, office tower, bank ...
Nona Resler's 98th Birthday Celebration
Gary and Jennifer and their new little daughter Aeva, came from ...
