Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
S	26	Jan 10, 1961 - Nov 5, 1961	57th (1)	Democrat	San Antonio / Bexar		Bexar
S	26	Jan 8, 1957 - Jan 10, 1961	55th   56th	Democrat	San Antonio / Bexar		Bexar

(1) In Senate, Franklin S. Spears, in special election 12/16/1961, sworn 12/22/1961, succeeded Henry B. Gonzalez, elected Congressman, 25th District, 11/4/1961, resigned Senate seat 11/5/1961. Spears' first session in the Senate was 57th 3rd Called Session. In House, Rudy Esquivel, in special election 12/16/1961, took office 12/22/1961, succeeded Franklin S. Spears, resigned 12/14/1961. Esquivel's first session was 57th 3rd Called Session. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Selected Newspaper articles

Resolutions and Journal entries

• 57th Legislature, 3rd C.S., SR 22, election to Congress. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
• 57th Legislature, R.S., SR 411, birthday. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
• 60th Legislature, 1st C.S., HCR 14, HemisFair '68. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
• 77th Legislature, R.S., SR 825. Resolutions - Memorial.
• 80th Legislature, R.S., SR 903. Resolutions - Memorial.

Biographical Sketches

• GONZALEZ, Henry Barbosa (1916-2000). Representative, TX. Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress 1774-Present.
• Photo and biographical sketch, Profiles in Power: Twentieth-Century Texans in Washington, 2004.
• Memorial biographical sketch and photo. A State of Remembrance, 2001.
• Biographical sketch included in Tejano Struggle for Representation, 2004.

Other Resources

• First Mexican-American elected to the Texas Senate; first Mexican-American elected to Congress from Texas. .
• "UT to house Gonzalez collection," 10/25/2006. "Gonzales was the first Mexican American elected to the Texas Senate, the first Mexican American to run . . . for governor, in 1958, and the first Mexican American elected from Texas to the U.S. House." Austin American-Statesman.
• Mentioned in MEXICAN AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS article. Handbook of Texas Online.
• Mentioned in TEJANO POLITICS. Listed among the Tejanos who served in the Texas House and Senate. Handbook of Texas Online.
• James E. Garcia. "Maverick Congressman Memorialized as 'A Voice for the Downtrodden,'" December 1, 2000, pp. 1-4. La Prensa San Diego.
• Molly Ivins. "So Long to Henry B.," December 8, 2000, p. 4. Texas Observer.

Photographs

• Photograph. Henry B. Gonzalez, 57th Legislature, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Henry B. Gonzalez, 56th Legislature, Texas Yearbook, 56th Legislature
• Photograph. Henry B. Gonzalez, 56th Legislature, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Henry B. Gonzalez, 55th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

• 55th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
• 56th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
• 57th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

57th R.S. - 1961 Banking   Counties, Cities and Towns   Jurisprudence   Privileges and Elections   Public Health   State Health and Welfare Services Coordinating Commission

56th R.S. - 1959 Banking   Counties, Cities and Towns   Interstate Cooperation   Jurisprudence   Legislative, Congressional and Judicial Districts   Privileges and Elections (Vice Chair)  Public Health

55th R.S. - 1957 Banking   Counties, Cities and Towns (Vice Chair)  Interstate Cooperation   Jurisprudence   Privileges and Elections   Public Health