Interview with Blanca Vela
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Creation Date
12-8-2012
Disciplines
History
Description
Dr. Margaret Dorsey interviewed Blanca Vela about her family history and life experiences.
The first woman mayor of Brownsville, Blanca (Sanchez) Vela (1936–2014) was born and raised in Harlingen, TX. She attended Texas Southmost College and holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Pan American University. Throughout her life, Vela championed education and literacy, advanced opportunities for women, and advocated for children and the underserved.
She married Filemon Vela, Sr. in 1962 and campaigned for his election as state representative the following year. While Filemon, later became a U.S. federal judge. Blanca became an activist for Mexican-Americans in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and co-founded the Democratic Women's Club.
She served as the first woman on the Brownsville National Bank Board of Directors and the first woman and Chairwoman to serve on the Brownsville Public Utilities Board. Her service also included membership in the Texas Public Power Association, the American Public Power Association, and the Brownsville Public Library Foundation, which she co-founded with Betty Dodd and resulted in the opening of two public libraries.
Physical Description
.MP3 (converted from WAV), 78.7 MB, 128 kbps, 01:26:01
Recommended Citation
Latinas & Politics Oral Histories, Border Studies Archive, UTRGV Digital Library, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Accessed via https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/latinasandpoliticsoralhistories
Notes
Audio interview only, significant background noise