Benny C. Martinez, El Tejano
By Robert Gallegos
Benny C. Martinez is a Community Activist, a proud member of LULAC, Guardian of Tejano History, and a father of two daughters. Benny C. Martinez was born on January 4, 1934 in Goliad, Texas and was one of eleven children of Placido Lozano Martinez and Paula Cabrera Cortinas. Four older brothers served in World War II. During 1946 Mr. Placido Lozano Martinez decided to move the family to Houston, so his children can have the opportunity to earn an education, and no longer have to pick cotton.
Benny served in the U.S. Army, in Korea from 1957 – 1958 and from 1958 – 1962 he served in the Reserves as a Medic at Fort Hood, Texas. He is a member of the Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post 893 here in Houston as well as a member of the American GI Forum Lucian Adams Chapter. He is also a member of the American Legion in Goliad, Texas.
In 1967, Benny graduated from Houston Community College as Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). In 1985 obtained a Bachelor of General Studies Degree from the University of Houston Downtown College.
He worked for Harris County for a total of 35 years – thirty years as a nurse of which he worked twenty years in the psychiatric hospital, fifteen years in the Forensic Unit of Psychiatry. The last five years he worked as a Deputy Sheriff. When Benny retired from the County in 1997 he was honored with proclamations by both the county and city designating his retirement day as “Benny C. Martinez Day”.
Benny has been very active in the Community. He was an Election Judge for thirty years in Voting Precinct 79 in the area of Denver Harbor located in Houston, Texas. He is a lifetime member of LULAC Council 60. He started his Community Activism as a young boy, hearing and seeing his grandmother who was the President of the Woman’s LULAC Council #2 and later his father, Placido also advocated too have the Goliad schools integrated for Hispanic children and this was accomplished in 1950. In the late 50’s under the direction of Felix Tijerina, Judge Alfred Hernandez, Benny Martinez and LULAC Council 60 members started the Little School of the 400, which was designed to teach Non-English speaking Hispanic Children 400 English words. The first program was implemented at a school in Ganado, Texas and the second one was in Sugarland, Texas. By the late summer of 1958 there were nine schools throughout Texas. When L.B.J. became President he liked what the “Little School of the 400” had done for Hispanic children in Texas and it would serve as the model for the Federal program “Head Start.” In 1965 LULAC Council 60 members created SER Jobs for Progress. Benny’s brother Raul was President of Council 60 at the time and Benny was Vice President. SER Jobs for Progress became so successful it was taken over by the Federal Government and was renamed SER which is a training center and a job placement center.
Before 1966 no Hispanics were elected to any local political office. Therefore, Benny and a group of local Hispanic Leaders decided to choose several Hispanics to run for various local political offices and from this came the first Hispanic State Representative elected from the Houston area who was Lauro Cruz. Then others soon followed such as State Representative and City Councilman Ben Reyes, City Controller Leonel J. Castillo, Constable Roy Martinez, Justice of the Peace Richard C. Vara, Justice of the Peace Armando V. Rodriguez and HISD School Board member David Lopez.
Benny said that in 1950 LULAC was trying to fight the system at City Hall in not admitting Hispanics in the Houston Police Department and Houston Fire Department. Therefore, LULAC members of Council 60 went to City Hall with Benny’s brother Raul, “Roy” Martinez who was 6’4”, a decorated World War II Veteran and was attending the University of Houston. They asked the Mayor and City Council “why Roy Martinez was not good enough in their eyes to be a Houston Police Officer” at the time H.P.D. and H.F.D. had height requirements. Roy Martinez was soon admitted and was the first Hispanic in the Houston Police Department. After retiring from H.P.D. Roy Martinez became the first elected Hispanic Constable for the newly formed Constable Precinct 6. The Raul C. Martinez Court House, a County Annex is named after Roy Martinez as well as an HISD elementary school. Benny’s brother Elias Martinez was the first Hispanic admitted into the Houston Fire Department. Elias served about forty years with H.F.D. and there is a Fire Pumper Truck named after Elias which is housed at the New Denver Harbor Fire Station #27.
Benny has worked in preservation in Houston and served as Chairman of the renaming of 69th St. to Staff Sgt. Macario Garcia who was a WWII Medal of Honor recipient. As President of the Tejano Association for Historical Preservation, he also worked in changing 67th St. to Cesar Chavez Blvd. He petitioned the City of Houston, City of Pasadena and City of La Porte to change Hwy 225 to Juan N. Seguin. This resulted in the 610 Loop before entering Hwy 225 being changed by the City of Houston to Juan N. Seguin Interchange and the road that leads up to the San Jacinto Monument was renamed Juan N Seguin Blvd. 1836. He was also instrumental in advocating that HISD name an elementary school after Juan N. Seguin.
Benny is very proud of his Tejano roots, his maternal family arrived as part of a military expedition in the San Antonio area what was then called the Villa de San Fernando on March 9, 1731 and has researched his genealogy tracing his Cabrera descendants back to the Canary Islands (Spanish Islands in the Atlantic off the northwest coast of Africa). He credits his Tejano pride to his grandmother who passed at the age of 85 years old, and the stories she would tell of the family’s history in Texas. She always hoped that the family would reclaim the lost 9000 acres owned by her family near Refugio, Texas. Some forty years ago Benny’s family filed a law suit to reclaim these 9000 acres owned by his family that were taken in the 1870’s. They fought in the courts for ten years to reclaim this lost land, but the courts wanted the Martinez family to identify the boundaries of the 9000 acres which they could not pinpoint the boundaries. However, they do have a Land Grant for 9000 acres issued to his family dated back to 1832 when Texas was still part of Mexico. This story is researched and documented by his cousin Abel Rubio in the book “Stolen Heritage.”
For the past ten years, Benny has been part of a committee to erect a Tejano Monument recognizing Tejanos, as well as Spanish and Mexican contributions to Texas. It will be emplaced on the grounds at the State Capitol in Austin. In Houston, he petitioned the HISD School Board and with their approval the school children donated in quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies a little over $16,000.00 to the project. He then wanted to create public awareness and fund raising for the Tejano Monument on a statewide level, so he rode his horse from Goliad, Texas to Austin, Texas. Along the way he stopped at various schools collecting donations for the Monument and giving talks about the Tejano Monument. He promised his wife who was concerned about his health and safety that he would take his time. He said it took him five days by horse to arrive in Austin to be greeted by a crowd of supporters. The State approved the Tejano Monument but originally wanted it placed on the back grounds of the Capitol, but Benny and other Tejanos wanted the Tejano Monument placed on the grounds in the front, so everyone can see the Monument of the Proud Tejano by the artist Armando Hinojosa. For ten years they have been raising money and negotiating with the State to have a Tejano Monument in the front of the Capitol Building. On May 29, 2009 at 10:45 a.m. Honorable Governor Rick Perry in a historic signing ceremony in the presence of the Tejano Monument Committee and elected officials signed HB 4114 agreeing to place the Tejano Monument on the historic south lawn of the Capitol.
Benny has received numerous awards but the two that he is the most proud of are the LULAC National Man of the Year which he was awarded in 1996 in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2007 he was recognized by Texas Education Agency State Board of Education in Austin, Texas and was awarded a Child Hero award for District 2.
As President of LULAC Council 21 in Goliad, he is continuously raising money for scholarships awarding them to school children. Out of all that Benny C. Martinez has been involved in and has accomplished in his life, he feels that his greatest accomplishment was being part of LULAC, participating in the education committee and awarding scholarships to Hispanic Students. Mr. Martinez feels that education opens the door to opportunities.
By Robert Gallegos
Benny C. Martinez is a Community Activist, a proud member of LULAC, Guardian of Tejano History, and a father of two daughters. Benny C. Martinez was born on January 4, 1934 in Goliad, Texas and was one of eleven children of Placido Lozano Martinez and Paula Cabrera Cortinas. Four older brothers served in World War II. During 1946 Mr. Placido Lozano Martinez decided to move the family to Houston, so his children can have the opportunity to earn an education, and no longer have to pick cotton.
Benny served in the U.S. Army, in Korea from 1957 – 1958 and from 1958 – 1962 he served in the Reserves as a Medic at Fort Hood, Texas. He is a member of the Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post 893 here in Houston as well as a member of the American GI Forum Lucian Adams Chapter. He is also a member of the American Legion in Goliad, Texas.
In 1967, Benny graduated from Houston Community College as Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). In 1985 obtained a Bachelor of General Studies Degree from the University of Houston Downtown College.
He worked for Harris County for a total of 35 years – thirty years as a nurse of which he worked twenty years in the psychiatric hospital, fifteen years in the Forensic Unit of Psychiatry. The last five years he worked as a Deputy Sheriff. When Benny retired from the County in 1997 he was honored with proclamations by both the county and city designating his retirement day as “Benny C. Martinez Day”.
Benny has been very active in the Community. He was an Election Judge for thirty years in Voting Precinct 79 in the area of Denver Harbor located in Houston, Texas. He is a lifetime member of LULAC Council 60. He started his Community Activism as a young boy, hearing and seeing his grandmother who was the President of the Woman’s LULAC Council #2 and later his father, Placido also advocated too have the Goliad schools integrated for Hispanic children and this was accomplished in 1950. In the late 50’s under the direction of Felix Tijerina, Judge Alfred Hernandez, Benny Martinez and LULAC Council 60 members started the Little School of the 400, which was designed to teach Non-English speaking Hispanic Children 400 English words. The first program was implemented at a school in Ganado, Texas and the second one was in Sugarland, Texas. By the late summer of 1958 there were nine schools throughout Texas. When L.B.J. became President he liked what the “Little School of the 400” had done for Hispanic children in Texas and it would serve as the model for the Federal program “Head Start.” In 1965 LULAC Council 60 members created SER Jobs for Progress. Benny’s brother Raul was President of Council 60 at the time and Benny was Vice President. SER Jobs for Progress became so successful it was taken over by the Federal Government and was renamed SER which is a training center and a job placement center.
Before 1966 no Hispanics were elected to any local political office. Therefore, Benny and a group of local Hispanic Leaders decided to choose several Hispanics to run for various local political offices and from this came the first Hispanic State Representative elected from the Houston area who was Lauro Cruz. Then others soon followed such as State Representative and City Councilman Ben Reyes, City Controller Leonel J. Castillo, Constable Roy Martinez, Justice of the Peace Richard C. Vara, Justice of the Peace Armando V. Rodriguez and HISD School Board member David Lopez.
Benny said that in 1950 LULAC was trying to fight the system at City Hall in not admitting Hispanics in the Houston Police Department and Houston Fire Department. Therefore, LULAC members of Council 60 went to City Hall with Benny’s brother Raul, “Roy” Martinez who was 6’4”, a decorated World War II Veteran and was attending the University of Houston. They asked the Mayor and City Council “why Roy Martinez was not good enough in their eyes to be a Houston Police Officer” at the time H.P.D. and H.F.D. had height requirements. Roy Martinez was soon admitted and was the first Hispanic in the Houston Police Department. After retiring from H.P.D. Roy Martinez became the first elected Hispanic Constable for the newly formed Constable Precinct 6. The Raul C. Martinez Court House, a County Annex is named after Roy Martinez as well as an HISD elementary school. Benny’s brother Elias Martinez was the first Hispanic admitted into the Houston Fire Department. Elias served about forty years with H.F.D. and there is a Fire Pumper Truck named after Elias which is housed at the New Denver Harbor Fire Station #27.
Benny has worked in preservation in Houston and served as Chairman of the renaming of 69th St. to Staff Sgt. Macario Garcia who was a WWII Medal of Honor recipient. As President of the Tejano Association for Historical Preservation, he also worked in changing 67th St. to Cesar Chavez Blvd. He petitioned the City of Houston, City of Pasadena and City of La Porte to change Hwy 225 to Juan N. Seguin. This resulted in the 610 Loop before entering Hwy 225 being changed by the City of Houston to Juan N. Seguin Interchange and the road that leads up to the San Jacinto Monument was renamed Juan N Seguin Blvd. 1836. He was also instrumental in advocating that HISD name an elementary school after Juan N. Seguin.
Benny is very proud of his Tejano roots, his maternal family arrived as part of a military expedition in the San Antonio area what was then called the Villa de San Fernando on March 9, 1731 and has researched his genealogy tracing his Cabrera descendants back to the Canary Islands (Spanish Islands in the Atlantic off the northwest coast of Africa). He credits his Tejano pride to his grandmother who passed at the age of 85 years old, and the stories she would tell of the family’s history in Texas. She always hoped that the family would reclaim the lost 9000 acres owned by her family near Refugio, Texas. Some forty years ago Benny’s family filed a law suit to reclaim these 9000 acres owned by his family that were taken in the 1870’s. They fought in the courts for ten years to reclaim this lost land, but the courts wanted the Martinez family to identify the boundaries of the 9000 acres which they could not pinpoint the boundaries. However, they do have a Land Grant for 9000 acres issued to his family dated back to 1832 when Texas was still part of Mexico. This story is researched and documented by his cousin Abel Rubio in the book “Stolen Heritage.”
For the past ten years, Benny has been part of a committee to erect a Tejano Monument recognizing Tejanos, as well as Spanish and Mexican contributions to Texas. It will be emplaced on the grounds at the State Capitol in Austin. In Houston, he petitioned the HISD School Board and with their approval the school children donated in quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies a little over $16,000.00 to the project. He then wanted to create public awareness and fund raising for the Tejano Monument on a statewide level, so he rode his horse from Goliad, Texas to Austin, Texas. Along the way he stopped at various schools collecting donations for the Monument and giving talks about the Tejano Monument. He promised his wife who was concerned about his health and safety that he would take his time. He said it took him five days by horse to arrive in Austin to be greeted by a crowd of supporters. The State approved the Tejano Monument but originally wanted it placed on the back grounds of the Capitol, but Benny and other Tejanos wanted the Tejano Monument placed on the grounds in the front, so everyone can see the Monument of the Proud Tejano by the artist Armando Hinojosa. For ten years they have been raising money and negotiating with the State to have a Tejano Monument in the front of the Capitol Building. On May 29, 2009 at 10:45 a.m. Honorable Governor Rick Perry in a historic signing ceremony in the presence of the Tejano Monument Committee and elected officials signed HB 4114 agreeing to place the Tejano Monument on the historic south lawn of the Capitol.
Benny has received numerous awards but the two that he is the most proud of are the LULAC National Man of the Year which he was awarded in 1996 in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2007 he was recognized by Texas Education Agency State Board of Education in Austin, Texas and was awarded a Child Hero award for District 2.
As President of LULAC Council 21 in Goliad, he is continuously raising money for scholarships awarding them to school children. Out of all that Benny C. Martinez has been involved in and has accomplished in his life, he feels that his greatest accomplishment was being part of LULAC, participating in the education committee and awarding scholarships to Hispanic Students. Mr. Martinez feels that education opens the door to opportunities.
