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
El Paso Streetcar Track Construction
El Paso Streetcar: All of the tracks, including this section in ...
El Paso Streetcar Track Construction
El Paso Streetcar: Construction of the 4.8 mile streetcar route ...
El Paso Streetcar Track Construction
El Paso Streetcar: Construction of the 4.8 mile streetcar route ...
City Police Motorcycle - El Paso, Texas
A police officer poses for a photograph with his Harley-Davidson ...
El Paso Streetcar Track Construction
El Paso Streetcar: Construction of the 4.8 mile streetcar route ...
Residence of Charles E. Davis - El Paso, Texas
Photos of Charles E. Davis Jr.'s residence located at 625 W. ...
The Mine and Smelter Supply Co. - El Paso, Texas circa 1905
Photo of the Mine & Smelter Supply Co. located at 101 San ...