Dennis Chávez | |
|---|---|
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| United States Senator fromNew Mexico | |
| In office May 11, 1935 – November 18, 1962 | |
| Preceded by | Bronson M. Cutting |
| Succeeded by | Edwin L. Mechem |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Mexico'sat-large district | |
| In office March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1935 | |
| Preceded by | Albert G. Simms |
| Succeeded by | John J. Dempsey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Dionisio Chávez (1888-04-08)April 8, 1888 |
| Died | November 18, 1962(1962-11-18) (aged 74) Washington D.C., U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Imelda Espinosa |
| Relations | David Chávez (brother) |
| Education | Georgetown University (LLB) |
Dionisio "Dennis" Chávez (April 8, 1888 – November 18, 1962) was an American politician who served in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1931 to 1935, and in theUnited States Senate from 1935 to 1962. He was the firstHispanic person to be elected to a full term in the Senate and the first U.S. Senator to be born inNew Mexico, which was still aterritory at the time of his birth. In 1920, he became the first Latino lawyer in the United States.[1]
Chávez was born inLos Chavez in theNew Mexico Territory. His parents, David and Paz Chávez, were members of families that had lived in Los Chavez for generations. There was no school in that town. In 1895, David Chávez moved his family to theBarelas section ofAlbuquerque, New Mexico, to work on the railroad and Dennis attended school until 7th grade when financial hardships necessitated that he work. His first job was delivering groceries at the Highland Grocery store.[2] Later on, he studied engineering and surveying at night, and worked as an engineer for the City of Albuquerque for several years. Dennis's younger brother,David Chávez, served as the 34thMayor of Santa Fe, a judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, and as a member of theNew Mexico Supreme Court.
Chávez worked briefly as editor of a Belen weekly newspaper, as a court interpreter, and as a private contractor until 1916, when he obtained temporary employment as a Spanish interpreter forSenatorAndrieus A. Jones' election campaign. In 1917, he was offered a position as assistant executive clerk of the Senate inWashington, D.C., by Senator Jones. He accepted this position, passed a special admission exam atGeorgetown University Law Center and studied law at night. He graduated from Georgetown in 1920,[2] and returned to Albuquerque to establish a law practice. He was successful in defending organized labor and as a defense counsel in high-profile murder cases, where he used his popularity to run for office.[3]
In 1922, Chávez was elected to the New Mexico state legislature,[2] but he did not seek another term. In 1930, he was elected to New Mexico's at-large seat in theUnited States House of Representatives as aDemocrat, and was re-elected in 1932. Chávez served as chairman of the House Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation. He did not seek re-election to the House in 1934, running instead for theUnited States Senate.
Chávez was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from New Mexico in1934. He lost narrowly toRepublican incumbentBronson M. Cutting. However, Cutting was killed in an airplane crash on May 6, 1935, and five days later, Chávez was appointed to fill the vacancy pending a special election.[2] In1936, Chávez was elected to the remaining four years of Cutting's term, and then won a full term of his own in1940, becoming the first person of Hispanic descent to be elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate. (Octaviano Larrazolo, also from New Mexico, was the first Hispanic to be elected to the Senate, but he was only elected to the remainder of an unexpired term and never served a full term.) Chávez was re-elected again in1946,1952, and1958, and served until his death in 1962. He served as chairman of the Committee on Public Works from 1949 to 1953, and again from 1955 until his death.
In 1954, Senate Republicans attempted to remove Chávez from his seat, claiming that irregularities from the 1952 election meant the election results could not be trusted. A resolution that claimed no candidate had won the 1952 election, and therefore requiring the Republican governor of New Mexico to appoint a new senator, was defeated by a vote of 36-53.[4]
In 1911, Chávez married Imelda Espinosa, a member of a prominent New Mexico family. In 1914, they moved toBelen. The couple had three children: Dennis, Jr., Gloria and Ymelda.
Dennis Chávez died of cancer, attributed to his being a lifelong smoker, inWashington, D.C., on November 18, 1962,[5] and was buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery inAlbuquerque, New Mexico. Congress honored his memory with a minute of silence, and then-Vice-PresidentLyndon B. Johnson spoke at his funeral. At the time of his death, he was fourth-ranking in Senate seniority.
Chávez, only the second-everHispanic member of the U.S. Senate, was the first U.S.-born Hispanic elected to the Senate (Octaviano Larrazolo was born in Mexico). He was also the first person born in New Mexico elected by the state to the Senate. By a large margin, he is thelongest-serving Hispanic US senator.[citation needed]
He was honored by theUnited States Postal Service with a 35¢Great Americans series (1980–2000)postage stamp.[citation needed][6]
His daughter, Ymelda Chavez Dixon, wrote a successful women's column for theWashington Evening Star from 1965 to 1981 called "Your Date with Ymelda."[7]
A granddaughter,Gloria Tristani, followed in public service, serving as chair of the New Mexico State Corporations Commission in 1996, as a member of theFederal Communications Commission from 1997 to 2001, and as the Democratic nominee for New Mexico's other U.S. Senate seat in2002 where she lost to SenatorPete Domenici.[8]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Mexico's at-large congressional district 1931–1935 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromNew Mexico (Class 1) 1934,1936,1940,1946,1952,1958 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 1) from New Mexico 1935–1962 Served alongside:Carl Hatch,Clinton Anderson | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Public Works Committee 1949–1953 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Public Works Committee 1955–1962 | Succeeded by |
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| Environment and Public Works (1977–present) | ||
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| Civil Service and Retrenchment (1873–1921) | ||
| Civil Service (1921–1947) | ||
| Post Office and Civil Service (1947–1977) | ||
| Territorial (1851–1912) |
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| Districts (1969–present) (3rd district established in 1983) |
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| People | |
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