Vidal M. Treviño
Encyclopedia
Vidal Manuel Treviño was a longtime educator and a Democratic
political powerhouse in Laredo, Texas
, who served as the Laredo Independent School District
(LISD) superintendent between 1973 and 1995. He also served a term in the Texas House of Representatives
from then District 80 from 1961-1963.
, Mexico
, to Rufino Treviño and the former Marie de Jesus Villarreal. However, he grew up in heavily Hispanic
Laredo, the seat of Webb County
in south Texas, where his parents had moved when they first married. His mother traveled to Mexico for his birth, but the couple promptly returned to Laredo. He attended Laredo public schools and graduated from Martin High School
. He obtained bachelor's
and master's
degrees in education
from Texas A&I University
in Kingsville
. In 2001, Texas A&M International University
in Laredo awarded Treviño an honorary doctorate.
Treviño served in the United States Army
from 1951 to 1952 during the Korean War
.
In Kingsville, Vidal Treviño met his future wife, Lucila "Chila" Treviño (September 30, 1930–February 24, 2011); her maiden name was also Treviño. Lucila graduated in 1948 from King High School in Kingsville and in 1952 from Texas A&I. She began teaching the first grade in Alice
, Texas, while Vidal was at war. The couple married in 1953 and moved to Laredo, where she continued her teaching career at, first, Leyendecker Elementary School and then M.S. Ryan, where she remained on the faculty for thirty-nine years. She was a member of the Wednesday Lunch Club and the Society of Martha Washington. The couple had five children: David Vidal Trevino, Sr. (wife Marissa), Nelda, Christina Dancause (husband Mike), Daniel W. (wife Lynette), and Roberto W. Treviño.
Joaquin Gonzalez Cigarroa, a Laredo physician
who served at one time on the LISD board, said that Laredo schools improved under Treviño's leadership. Cigarroa told the Laredo Morning Times
that Treviño "understood and valued the importance of education. He did much to improve curriculum and facilities. Childhood development and pre-kindergarten schooling were his ideas. He was the first to recognize the educational needs of south Laredo."
Treviño started the F.S. Lara Academy, an alternative school
, to provide an outlet for those pupils who reject traditional instruction. And he launched a magnet school
specializing in the fine arts. He also instituted a curriculum entitled "The Use, Misuse, and Abuse of Drugs and Narcotics."
The patriotic organization Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge
, Pennsylvania
once awarded Treviño with its "American Educator's Medal". He was once selected as one of the top five superintendents in the state by the Texas Association of School Boards.
After his retirement as superintendent, Treviño was named senior administrator of the D.D. Hachar Trust, a private scholarship fund channeled through the Laredo National Bank. During Treviño's tenure, 1995–2004, the trust gave Webb County students some $10 million in assistance.
Treviño was a cousin of another Laredo educator, Ramon H. Dovalina, the president of Laredo Community College from 1995–2007.
in the state House. He wanted to serve additional terms but instead returned to the LISD system for financial reasons. He was elected to the legislature for a single term in 1960.
Treviño was an influential member of the former Independent Club, the dominant faction from the 1940s to the 1960s within the Democratic Party in Webb and surrounding counties. Powerbrokers within the circle included Sheriff
J. C. Martin, Sr. (1886–1957), Mayor
J.C. "Pepe" Martin, Jr. (1913–1998), State Representative Honore Ligarde (Martin, Jr.'s brother-in-law), District Attorney Philip Kazen, and former U.S. Representative Abraham "Chic" Kazen
. In time, the club weakened, as newcomers moved into the community, and members quarreled among themselves. In 1978, an Italian American
businessman, Aldo Tatangelo
, finally broke the power of the Independent Club with his election as a three-term "reform" mayor.
Former Webb County Judge Mercurio "Merc" Martinez, Jr., a veteran member of the Laredo Community College
Board of Trustees, noted that Treviño developed strong political ties because the "Old Party" through "Pepe" Martin had direct access to the White House
. Martinez told the Laredo Morning Times that Treviño "had the ability to listen to you, but also to convince you eventually to come over to his side."
U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson
appointed Treviño to the National Advisory Committee for the Handicapped.
. He was a strong supporter of the Boy Scouts of America
. He was the first recipient of the "Lifetime Achievement Award" given by the League of United Latin American Citizens
. He was also active in the Laredo George Washington Birthday Celebration
held annually in February. He preferred spending his spare time with his family.
Treviño had been ill for several months when he died at the family home from diabetes and congestive heart failure
.
Mourners packed the Blessed Sacrament Catholic
Church on January 2, 2007, to pay final respects. Monsignor
Stanley Sliwiak officiated at the funeral mass. In a eulogy
, Treviño's son, David Vidal Treviño, Sr. (born 1958), said that his father taught him that "the only requirement in overcoming professional jealousy was in doing the very best you know how to do." David Treviño added that his father "made hard decisions and embodied the true spirit of leadership. His style pushed everyone to do more, to excel, and to do it better." He went on to add that "when someone had something unkind or false to say about Dad, I argued with him that he needed to respond because in the absence of truth, people might believe the lies that were being said about him. But he chose to keep quiet and explained to me that he had lived his life in such a manner so that anyone who really knew him would not believe it." About politics, David Treviño mentioned that his father "didn’t regret political differences with those friends he respected, but he did regret that their philosophies sometimes kept them apart."
In closing, David Trevino added "the most important thing I learned from Dad is that there is absolutely nothing more important in life than loyalty to God, family, and friends . . . in that order." David Trevino also mentioned that when his sister, Nelda Trevino (born 1960), asked their father years ago how he wanted to be remembered, their father responded by showing three fingers . . . "a good husband, a good father, and a good friend."
Amber Milton Yeary, II (born 1938), a Laredo businessman, civic leader, Baptist
layman, and a former 25-year LISD board member, described his friend Treviño as "a man of integrity and character with a passion for his life's work, totally dedicated to the children and his community. We traveled, argued, and agreed together. It will be a long time before we know another one like Vidal Treviño."
Treviño is interred in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Laredo. He is honored through the naming of the Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts magnet school on Victoria Street in downtown Laredo.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
political powerhouse in Laredo, Texas
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
, who served as the Laredo Independent School District
Laredo Independent School District
Laredo Independent School District is a public school district based in Laredo, Texas . The district serves the south central portion of Laredo.In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency....
(LISD) superintendent between 1973 and 1995. He also served a term in the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
from then District 80 from 1961-1963.
Early years, education, and family
Treviño was born in Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo LeónNuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, to Rufino Treviño and the former Marie de Jesus Villarreal. However, he grew up in heavily Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
Laredo, the seat of Webb County
Webb County, Texas
Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The official 2010 population for the county is 250,304. In 2000, its population was 193,117, and in 2006 its population had been estimated to have reached to 231,470. Its county seat is Laredo...
in south Texas, where his parents had moved when they first married. His mother traveled to Mexico for his birth, but the couple promptly returned to Laredo. He attended Laredo public schools and graduated from Martin High School
Martin High School (Laredo, Texas)
Raymond & Tirza Martin High School, known as Martin High School, is a secondary institution of learning located in the Laredo Independent School District in Laredo, Texas. Grades 9th through 12th are taught there. It serves students living in central Laredo...
. He obtained bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
degrees in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
from Texas A&I University
Texas A&M University–Kingsville
Texas A&M University–Kingsville is a U.S. national university with a multicultural student body that is 62 percent Hispanic and includes students from 35 states and 43 foreign countries...
in Kingsville
Kingsville, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,575 people, 8,943 households, and 6,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,848.8 people per square mile . There were 10,427 housing units at an average density of 753.8 per square mile...
. In 2001, Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M International University, often referred to as TAMIU, is a public, co-educational, state-supported university located in Laredo, Texas...
in Laredo awarded Treviño an honorary doctorate.
Treviño served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1951 to 1952 during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
In Kingsville, Vidal Treviño met his future wife, Lucila "Chila" Treviño (September 30, 1930–February 24, 2011); her maiden name was also Treviño. Lucila graduated in 1948 from King High School in Kingsville and in 1952 from Texas A&I. She began teaching the first grade in Alice
Alice, Texas
At the 2000 census, there were 19,010 people, 6,400 households and 4,915 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,597.4 per square mile . There were 6,998 housing units at an average density of 588.0 per square mile...
, Texas, while Vidal was at war. The couple married in 1953 and moved to Laredo, where she continued her teaching career at, first, Leyendecker Elementary School and then M.S. Ryan, where she remained on the faculty for thirty-nine years. She was a member of the Wednesday Lunch Club and the Society of Martha Washington. The couple had five children: David Vidal Trevino, Sr. (wife Marissa), Nelda, Christina Dancause (husband Mike), Daniel W. (wife Lynette), and Roberto W. Treviño.
Career in education
Treviño began his 46-year career in education as a teacher at Central Elementary School in downtown Laredo. He was then named principal of L. J. Christen Middle School. He moved to the main office to become director of federal projects. He was thereafter the assistant to Superintendent J. W. Nixon. When Nixon retired, Treviño began his 22-year tenure as superintendent.Joaquin Gonzalez Cigarroa, a Laredo physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
who served at one time on the LISD board, said that Laredo schools improved under Treviño's leadership. Cigarroa told the Laredo Morning Times
Laredo Morning Times
The Laredo Morning Times is a daily newspaper publication based in Laredo, Texas, USA. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation.The Laredo Morning Times was founded on June 14, 1881 as "the Laredo Weekly," a four-page newspaper published by James Saunders Penn. Two years later, the paper became a...
that Treviño "understood and valued the importance of education. He did much to improve curriculum and facilities. Childhood development and pre-kindergarten schooling were his ideas. He was the first to recognize the educational needs of south Laredo."
Treviño started the F.S. Lara Academy, an alternative school
Alternative school
Alternative school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides part of alternative education. It is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional...
, to provide an outlet for those pupils who reject traditional instruction. And he launched a magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
specializing in the fine arts. He also instituted a curriculum entitled "The Use, Misuse, and Abuse of Drugs and Narcotics."
The patriotic organization Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
The Village of Valley Forge is an unincorporated settlement located on the west side of Valley Forge National Historical Park at the confluence of Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania, United States. The remaining village is in Schuylkill Township of Chester County, but once...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
once awarded Treviño with its "American Educator's Medal". He was once selected as one of the top five superintendents in the state by the Texas Association of School Boards.
After his retirement as superintendent, Treviño was named senior administrator of the D.D. Hachar Trust, a private scholarship fund channeled through the Laredo National Bank. During Treviño's tenure, 1995–2004, the trust gave Webb County students some $10 million in assistance.
Treviño was a cousin of another Laredo educator, Ramon H. Dovalina, the president of Laredo Community College from 1995–2007.
Political career
Treviño succeeded Laredo attorney Oscar M. LaurelOscar M. Laurel
Oscar Manuel Laurel, Sr., was a U.S. attorney, businessman, and Hispanic Democratic politician from Laredo, Texas, whose legendary oratory excited his party's faithful. "He had a great talent for words," said Hector Garcia, a former Laurel business partner. Vidal M. Trevino, late superintendent of...
in the state House. He wanted to serve additional terms but instead returned to the LISD system for financial reasons. He was elected to the legislature for a single term in 1960.
Treviño was an influential member of the former Independent Club, the dominant faction from the 1940s to the 1960s within the Democratic Party in Webb and surrounding counties. Powerbrokers within the circle included Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
J. C. Martin, Sr. (1886–1957), Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
J.C. "Pepe" Martin, Jr. (1913–1998), State Representative Honore Ligarde (Martin, Jr.'s brother-in-law), District Attorney Philip Kazen, and former U.S. Representative Abraham "Chic" Kazen
Abraham Kazen
Abraham Kazen, Jr., usually known as Chick Kazen was a U.S. Representative from Texas from 1967 to 1985.- Education :...
. In time, the club weakened, as newcomers moved into the community, and members quarreled among themselves. In 1978, an Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
businessman, Aldo Tatangelo
Aldo Tatangelo
Aldo J. Tatangelo, Sr. , was the reform mayor of Laredo, Texas, who served from 1978 to 1990. Tatangelo is often credited with having obtained the paving of the "streets of Laredo"...
, finally broke the power of the Independent Club with his election as a three-term "reform" mayor.
Former Webb County Judge Mercurio "Merc" Martinez, Jr., a veteran member of the Laredo Community College
Laredo Community College
The Laredo Community College, or LCC, was established as Laredo Junior College on September 28, 1947, by the Laredo Independent School District in Laredo, the seat of Webb County in south Texas...
Board of Trustees, noted that Treviño developed strong political ties because the "Old Party" through "Pepe" Martin had direct access to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. Martinez told the Laredo Morning Times that Treviño "had the ability to listen to you, but also to convince you eventually to come over to his side."
U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
appointed Treviño to the National Advisory Committee for the Handicapped.
Treviño's death and legacy
Treviño was involved in many civic activities: he was once named "Man of the Year" by the Laredo Morning Times and "Boss of the Year" by the Laredo Jaycees. He was a member of the board of directors of Laredo Border OlympicsSpecial Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
. He was a strong supporter of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. He was the first recipient of the "Lifetime Achievement Award" given by the League of United Latin American Citizens
League of United Latin American Citizens
The League of United Latin American Citizens was created to combat the discrimination that Hispanics face in the United States. Established February 17, 1929 in Corpus Christi, Texas, LULAC was a consolidation of smaller, like-minded civil rights groups already in existence...
. He was also active in the Laredo George Washington Birthday Celebration
Washington's Birthday Celebration
The Washington's Birthday Celebration is an almost month long held event in Laredo, the seat of Webb County in south Texas, that celebrates George Washington's Birthday. It is the largest celebration of its kind in the United States with approximately 400,000 attendees annually...
held annually in February. He preferred spending his spare time with his family.
Treviño had been ill for several months when he died at the family home from diabetes and congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
.
Mourners packed the Blessed Sacrament Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Church on January 2, 2007, to pay final respects. Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
Stanley Sliwiak officiated at the funeral mass. In a eulogy
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
, Treviño's son, David Vidal Treviño, Sr. (born 1958), said that his father taught him that "the only requirement in overcoming professional jealousy was in doing the very best you know how to do." David Treviño added that his father "made hard decisions and embodied the true spirit of leadership. His style pushed everyone to do more, to excel, and to do it better." He went on to add that "when someone had something unkind or false to say about Dad, I argued with him that he needed to respond because in the absence of truth, people might believe the lies that were being said about him. But he chose to keep quiet and explained to me that he had lived his life in such a manner so that anyone who really knew him would not believe it." About politics, David Treviño mentioned that his father "didn’t regret political differences with those friends he respected, but he did regret that their philosophies sometimes kept them apart."
In closing, David Trevino added "the most important thing I learned from Dad is that there is absolutely nothing more important in life than loyalty to God, family, and friends . . . in that order." David Trevino also mentioned that when his sister, Nelda Trevino (born 1960), asked their father years ago how he wanted to be remembered, their father responded by showing three fingers . . . "a good husband, a good father, and a good friend."
Amber Milton Yeary, II (born 1938), a Laredo businessman, civic leader, Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
layman, and a former 25-year LISD board member, described his friend Treviño as "a man of integrity and character with a passion for his life's work, totally dedicated to the children and his community. We traveled, argued, and agreed together. It will be a long time before we know another one like Vidal Treviño."
Treviño is interred in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Laredo. He is honored through the naming of the Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts magnet school on Victoria Street in downtown Laredo.
External links
- Website of the “Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts”