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
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine Commencement - 2017
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine Commencement - 2017
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine Commencement - 2017
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine Commencement - 2017
Exhibition - Saint Patrick Cathedral & Cathedral High School
Exhibition Celebrating Saint Patrick Cathedral & Cathedral High ...
Mayor Dee Margo & Adair Margo - 2017 - El Paso, Texas
Photograph of Dee Margo & Adair Margo - El Paso, Texas El ...
G.M. Locomotive: St. Louis & Southwestern R.R. - 1944
G.M. Locomotive: St. Louis & Southwestern R.R. - 1944 On ...
Company E - Lecture - El Paso, Texas - 2017
Dave Gutierrez gives lecture on Company E - downtown El Paso, ...
Alex Rivas - With Dave Gutierrez - Company E - 2017
Alex Rivas from El Paso, Texas was an original member of Company ...
Alex Rivas - With Dave Gutierrez - Company E
Alex Rivas from El Paso Texas was an original member of Company ...
First Steps Exhibit Ribbon Cutting Ceremony - 2017
First Steps Exhibit Ribbon Cutting Ceremony - 2017 Left to ...
Luz Ulrickson and Brother Nick Gonzalez
Luz Ulrickson and Brother Nick Gonzalez at the opening for the ...
Raymond L. Telles, Jr. and Rene Mascarenas Miranda, 2017
Raymond L.Telles, Jr .mayor of El Paso, Texas and Rene ...
Janice Woods Windle, El Paso, TX circa 1989
Janice Woods Windle built the El Paso Community Foundation into ...
Zacchia Jabalie Ayoub, Border Tobacco
Zacchia Jabalie Ayoub came to El Paso, Texas as a 13 year old ...
Cathedral Exhibit In El Paso, Texas - 2017
Pedro Zaragoza, Giuliana Leal and Jorge I. Angulo at the grand ...