Cristóbal Aldrete Papers, 1936-1991 (bulk
1963-1979)
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Creator: |
Aldrete, Cristóbal |
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Title: |
Cristóbal Aldrete Papers |
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Dates: | 1936-1991 (bulk 1963-1979) |
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Abstract: |
The papers of Cristóbal P.
Aldrete, lawyer, federal appointee, and Mexican American rights advocate,
document his personal and professional life through biographical material,
correspondence, printed materials, photographs, and creative
works. |
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Accession No.: |
2010-05 |
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OCLC Record No.: |
676822202 |
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Extent: |
4.6 linear feet |
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Language: |
English and
Spanish |
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Repository: |
Benson Latin American Collection, The
University of Texas at Austin |
Cristóbal P. Aldrete was born in Del Rio, Texas, on January 16,
1924 to Felipe and Dolores (Pool) Aldrete. After he graduated from Del Rio High
School in 1942, he attended the University of Denver where he studied Japanese.
During World War II, he served in both the Army and the Air Force as a
specialist in radio intelligence. After the war he continued his studies at the
University of Texas at Austin where he majored in local government. While at
the University of Texas, Aldrete was a founding member of the Alba Club, a club
that confronted discrimination and promoted the interests of Spanish-speaking
people in Texas. In 1949 on behalf of the Alba Club, he lodged a complaint with
the Texas Department of Education against the segregated Del Rio School system
that resulted in the accreditation of the schools being withdrawn. Even though
this ruling was overturned, by September of 1949, public schools were required
by the state to end segregation on the basis of national origin. He received a
law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston in 1951, and returned to
Del Rio to practice law. Aldrete married Oralia (Yaya) Vera of Brownsville,
Texas, in 1954, and they had five children.
Aldrete was an active
member and leader in the American GI Forum (AGIF). He served as State Chairman
and acted as a National Legal Advisor for the organization. In his capacity as
a legal advisor for the AGIF, Aldrete was one of the five attorneys
representing Pete Hernandez in the landmark case of Hernandez v. State of
Texas.
While living Del Rio, Aldrete entered into local politics. He
served as a member of the Del Rio City Council from 1952 to 1958, as City
Attorney in 1958, and as Val Verde County Attorney from 1961 to 1965. In 1962
he received his first national appointment when President Kennedy appointed him
to the President’s Committee on Youth Employment. Aldrete resigned from the
post of county attorney in 1965 to accept the position of the Regional Manager
of the Community Action Programs for the Southwest Regional Office of the
Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). From 1967 to 1968, Aldrete acted as the
special assistant to John M. Bailey, the chairman of the Democratic National
Committee. In this role he specialized in Mexican American and Spanish-speaking
Political Affairs, and he appealed to Hispanic voters to help re-elect
President Johnson through voter registration drives and political workshops in
the West and Southwest. After President Johnson decided to not run for
re-election, Aldrete served as the executive director of the Viva Humphrey for
President Campaign.
Aldrete acted as an assistant to Representative
Abraham Kazen, Jr. (D-Texas) from 1969 to 1970. He stepped down from that
position after a year and became the deputy campaign manager for Lloyd Bentsen
(D-Texas) in 1970. After Bentsen won the race for Senator, he made Aldrete a
legislative and executive assistant. In this capacity he served as a
representative in legislation and specialized on matters of interests to the
Spanish-speaking constituency. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed
Aldrete to serve as co-chairman of the Southwest Border Regional
Commission.
After he left Washington, D.C. in the early 1980s, Aldrete
returned to Texas where he served as the executive director of the Texas Senate
Hispanic Caucus from 1987-1989. He passed away on September 17, 1991, at the
age of 67.
Biographical material, correspondence, printed
materials, photographs, and creative works, 1936-1991 (4.6 linear feet),
document the life and career of Cristóbal P. Aldrete. The papers are arranged
into seven series: Personal and Biographical, Activities and Organizations,
Correspondence, Written Works, Collected Materials, Photographs, and Oversized
Materials.
Series one, Personal
and Biographical (1936-1991), includes biographies, certificates and
awards, materials related to his education, newspaper clippings, and
invitations and programs that document both Aldrete’s personal life and his
career. The subseries Family and Friends (1951-1984) contains creative works,
clippings, and letters created by and about his mother, sisters, wife,
children, and friends. Within this subseries the bulk of the materials pertain
to and were collected by Oralia Aldrete and consists of assorted printed
materials and letters. In the subseries Invitations and Programs (1946-1981)
are a number of invitations to events hosted by the President of the United
States, Presidential Inaugurations, and other events where Aldrete spoke or
received an award. The final subseries Newspaper Clippings (1942-1991) gives a
broad overview of his achievements, both personal and professional, beginning
with an article about Aldrete when he was a senior in high school.
Series two, Activities and
Organizations (1948-1982), chronicles his professional life as it
contains materials related to his personal political campaigns, his membership
in the American GI Forum, and his career with the federal government. The
subseries Committees and Appointments (1965-1981) includes clippings about his
appointments and his work, correspondence, printed materials and conference
proceedings. Significant documents within the subseries GI Forum (1948-1982)
include the decision in Hernandez v. State of Texas and a history of the GI
Forum from 1948-1972.
Series three,
Correspondence (1951-1988), holds
both personal and professional correspondence. The bulk of the material in the
subseries Personal (1951-1988) is letters written by Aldrete to Oralia from
1951-1953. These letters reveal details about his life at law school, cases he
worked on as a lawyer, the GI Forum, City Council meetings, and his efforts to
campaign for Adlai Stevenson. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by
correspondent for those for whom a more substantial amount of material existed.
The remaining correspondence is arranged by date. Within his professional
correspondence notable correspondents include Ed Idar, Jr., Hubert Humphrey,
and Lyndon Baines Johnson.
Series four,
Written Works (1946-1978), is a
small series containing handwritten notes, speeches delivered by Aldrete, and
pieces he wrote about school segregation and the borderlands.
Series
five, Collected Materials
(1946-1990), is arranged into four subseries: Campaign Materials, Clippings,
Publications, and Subject Files and includes printed material, correspondence,
clippings, and publications all pertaining to issues and events that interested
Aldrete. The subseries Campaign Materials (1954-1970) includes newspaper
clippings, campaign buttons and pins, pamphlets, and bumper stickers. The most
extensive collection of campaign materials relates to Hubert Humphrey’s
campaign for President since Aldrete served as the Executive Director of the
Viva Humphrey campaign. The subseries Clippings (1951-1977) contains various
clippings associated with matters of interest to Aldrete like the Mexican
American community as well as organizations and committees he was involved in
such as the GI Forum and the Democratic National Committee.
Series six,
Photographs (1942-1990), has both
personal and professional photographs of Aldrete, photographs of his family and
friends, and photographs of politicians, political events, committees,
organizations, and meetings.
Series seven,
Oversized Materials (1951-1970s),
includes a campaign poster from Aldrete’s race for City Commissioner, his law
degree from South Texas College of Law, and a certificate from the District
Court of Del Rio. Materials collected by Aldrete include a photograph of the
Governor of Arizona, Raul Hector Castro, a signed photograph of Texas Governor
Dolph Briscoe, and photographs of President Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson.
Access
Restrictions
Unrestricted.
Use Restrictions
Standard
copyright restrictions apply.
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The Cristóbal Aldrete Papers are classified under the following Subject Headings in the University of Texas Libraries catalog: |
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Subjects (Persons) |
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Aldrete, Cristóbal, 1924-1991 |
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Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973 |
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Organizations |
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American G.I. Forum |
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Subjects |
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Mexican-American Border Region |
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Mexican Americans--Civil rights--Texas |
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Mexican Americans--Legal status, laws, etc.--Cases |
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Political campaigns |
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Segregation in education--Texas |
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Additional materials by and about Cristóbal Aldrete can be found listed in the Miscellaneous Sound Recordings collection, the Eduardo Idar, Jr. Papers, and the George I. Sánchez Papers at the Benson Latin American Collection. |
Cite as: Cristóbal Aldrete Papers, Benson Latin American Collection, University of Texas Libraries, the University of Texas at Austin.
Box and Folder Inventory
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Personal and Biographical, 1936-1991 |
box |
folder |
1 |
1 |
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Biographical Sketches, 1967-1977, undated |
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2 |
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Birthday Cards, 1984 |
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Certificates and Awards, 1965-1980 |
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3 |
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Cerificates, 1965-1980 |
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4 |
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United California Mexican-American Association Plaque, 1980 |
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Education, 1936-1980 |
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5 |
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6th Grade Report Card, 1936-1937 |
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6 |
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Graduation Program, 1942 |
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7 |
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Del Rio Class of 42, 40th Reunion, 1982 |
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Family and Friends, 1951-1984 |
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8 |
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Aldrete, Carle, undated |
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9 |
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Aldrete-Frazer, Cindy, 1980-1983 |
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10 |
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(Aldrete) Spring, Dolores, undated |
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11 |
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Aldrete, Dolores P., 1951-1977 |
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12 |
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Aldrete, Eddie, 1978 |
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13 |
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Aldrete, James, 1973, undated |
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14 |
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Aldrete, Maria Lydia, 1952 |
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Aldrete, Oralia (Yaya), 1966-1979 |
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15 |
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Correspondence, 1966-1979, undated |
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16 |
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Various Materials, undated |
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17 |
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Aldrete, Oscar, 1973 |
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18 |
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Aldrete, Patsy, 1964-1979, undated |
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19 |
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Cisneros, Jose, 1971-1983 |
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20 |
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González Amezcua, Consuelo, undated |
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21 |
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Graduation Notices, 1984 |
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22 |
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Report Cards (Eddie, Cindy, Carle, James), 1969-1971 |
box |
folder |
2 |
1 |
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Financial Documents, 1951-1978 |
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2 |
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Identification Cards, 1961-1968, undated |
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Invitations and Programs, 1946-1981 |
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3 |
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1980 Hispanic Democratic Victory Dinner, 1980 |
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4 |
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Alba Club Program, 1953 |
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5 |
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American Citizens Social Club, 1946 |
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6 |
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Chamizal Ceremony, 1964 |
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7 |
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Democratic National Committee Dinner, 1967 |
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8 |
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Gus C. Garcia Address at his Testimonial Dinner, 1952 |
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9 |
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Hispanic Heritage Week Proclamation, 1981 |
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10 |
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Invitations from the Carter White House, 1977-1979 |
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11 |
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Invitations from the Johnson White House, 1964-1967 |
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12 |
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Presidential Inaugurations, 1961, 1965, 1977 |
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13 |
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Project Head Start, 1967 |
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14 |
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Reception for Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson, undated |
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15 |
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Texas Welcome Dinner, 1963 |
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16 |
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Legal Documents, 1966-1967 |
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Newspaper Clippings,, 1942-1991 |
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17 |
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Alba Club, 1953 |
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18 |
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Obituaries, 1991 |
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19 |
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School Segregation, 1949-1951 |
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20 |
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Wedding Announcements, 1964 |
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Various Clippings, 1942-1980 |
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21 |
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1942, 1951-1959 |
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22 |
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1962-1968 |
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23 |
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1970-1980 |
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24 |
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Undated |
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25 |
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Press Releases, 1966, 1977, 1991 |
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26 |
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Voter Registation Certificates, 1967-1968 |
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Activities and Organizations, 1948-1982 |
box |
folder |
3 |
1 |
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Application for Air Force Reserves 1957-1959 |
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2 |
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Application for Assistant United States Attorney 1956-1963 |
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Committees and Appointments, 1965-1981 |
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Aide to Senator Lloyd Bentsen, 1970-1976 |
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3 |
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Memoranda, 1976 |
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4 |
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Newspaper Clippings, 1970-1975 |
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5 |
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Press Releases, 1974, undated |
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6 |
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Arriba Humphrey Commission, 1968 |
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Democratic National Committee, 1967-1968 |
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Newspaper Clippings, 1967-1968 |
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7 |
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Appointment, 1967 |
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8 |
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Work, 1967-1968 |
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Office of Economic Opportunity, 1965-1968 |
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9 |
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Correspondence, 1965-1968, undated |
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10 |
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Earnings Statements, 1965-1966 |
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11 |
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Newsletter, 1966 |
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12 |
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Newspaper Clippings, 1965-1966 |
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13 |
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Notes, 1965, undated |
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14 |
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Personnel Forms, 1965-1966 |
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15 |
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Travel Documents, 1965 |
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16 |
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President's Youth Committee, 1962 |
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Southwest Regional Border Commission, 1977-1981 |
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17 |
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Correspondence, 1977-1978 |
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18 |
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Letterhead, undated |
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19 |
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Newspaper Clippings, 1977 |
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20 |
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Press Release, 1977 |
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21 |
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Proceedings of the Second International Conference of the United States-Mexico Border Commission, 1981 |
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22 |
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Record of Leave, 1981 |
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GI Forum, 1948-1982 |
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23 |
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Certificate of Merit, 1979 |
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24 |
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Clippings, 1948, 1975 |
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25 |
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The Hernandez Case, 1954 |
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26 |
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The History of the GI Forum, 1982 |
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27 |
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Printed Materials, 1955, 1975 |
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28 |
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Resignation, undated |
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29 |
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Wichita, Kansas, 1964 |
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30 |
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Knights of Columbus 1977 |
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Political Campaigns and Elections, 1952-1964 |
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31 |
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Ballots, 1952, 1964 |
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32 |
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Campaign-County Attorney, 1960 |
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33 |
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Election Returns, 1952, 1959 |
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34 |
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Speeches and Statements, 1952 |
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Correspondence, 1951-1988 |
box |
4 |
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Personal, 1951-1988 |
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Aldrete, Oralia (Yaya), 1951-1975 |
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1-2 |
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1951 |
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3-4 |
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1952 |
box |
folder |
5 |
1-2 |
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1953 |
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3 |
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1952-1975, undated |
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Various, 1952-1988 |
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4 |
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1952-1957 |
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5 |
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1962-1968 |
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6 |
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1971-1979 |
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7 |
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1980-1988 |
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8 |
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Undated |
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Professional, 1952-1981 |
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9 |
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Confidential, 1952-1953 |
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10 |
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Humphrey, Hubert, 1967-1968 |
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11 |
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Johnson, Lyndon Baines, 1958-1964 |
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12 |
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White House, 1978-1981 |
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13 |
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Yarborough, Ralph, 1957-1961 |
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Various, 1955-1980 |
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14 |
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1955-1958 |
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15 |
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1961-1968 |
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16 |
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1975-1980 |
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Written Works, 1946-1978 |
box |
folder |
5 |
17 |
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Election Returns, 1946-1950 |
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18 |
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Notes, undated |
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19 |
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Problems of the Borderlands Revisted, 1978 |
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20 |
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Segregation of Schools, undated |
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21 |
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Speeches, 1947-1973, undated |
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Collected Materials, 1946-1990 |
box |
6 |
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Campaign Materials, 1954-1970 |
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1 |
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Bentsen, Lloyd, 1970 |
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2 |
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Chavez Jr., Fabian, 1968 |
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3 |
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Curlee, Durward, undated |
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Humphrey, Hubert, 1968 |
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4 |
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Bumper Stickers, 1968 |
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5 |
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Clippings, 1968 |
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6 |
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Correspondence, 1968 |
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7 |
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Humphrey for President Dinner, 1968 |
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8 |
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Printed Materials, 1968 |
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9 |
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Johnson, Lyndon Baines, 1954-1968 |
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10 |
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Kennedy, John F., 1960-1963 |
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11 |
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Kennedy, Robert F., 1968 |
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12 |
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Campaign Buttons, undated |
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13 |
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Propaganda, 1967, undated |
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Clippings, 1951-1977 |
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14 |
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Democratic National Committee, 1966-1967 |
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15 |
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Election Results, 1962-1964, undated |
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16 |
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GI Forum, 1965-1967 |
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17 |
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Johnson, Lyndon Baines, 1964-1968, undated |
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18 |
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Look Magazine, Texas' Forgotten People, 1951 |
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19 |
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Mexican Americans, 1965-1969, undated |
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20 |
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Political Association of Spanish Speaking Organizations, 1967-1968 |
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Various, 1963-1977 |
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21 |
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1963-1968, undated |
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22 |
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1970-1977 |
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23 |
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Undated |
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Publications, 1949-1973 |
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24 |
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Inter-American Education Occassional Papers, 1949-1951 |
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25 |
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The Chicano, 1973 |
box |
7 |
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Subject Files, 1946-1990 |
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1 |
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American Embassy, Mexico City, undated |
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2 |
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Ephemera, 1946, 1978, undated |
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3 |
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Idar's "Race" Memos, 1973 |
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4 |
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Immigration, 1988-1990 |
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5-6 |
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Jokes, 1965-1972, undated |
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7 |
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Letters, 1958-1975, undated |
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8 |
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Press Release, undated |
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9 |
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Recipes, undated |
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10 |
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School Segregation (Mexican Americans), 1971 |
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11 |
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Songs, undated |
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12 |
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Spanish Language/Origin, 1980, undated |
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13 |
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Quotes/Miscellaneous, 1976-1980, undated |
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14 |
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Quotations, 1957-1969, undated |
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15 |
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Various, 1967, undated |
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Photographs, 1942-1990 |
box |
folder |
7 |
16 |
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71st Legislature, 1989 |
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17 |
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Adlai Stevenson Campaign, undated |
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18 |
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Air Force One, undated |
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19-21 |
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Aldrete, Cristóbal, 1940s-1986 |
box |
folder |
8 |
1 |
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Aldrete,James, 1970s |
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2 |
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Aldrete, Oralia (Yaya), 1973, undated |
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3 |
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Aldrete, Patsy, 1964 |
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4 |
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Babbitt, Bruce, undated |
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5 |
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Bentsen Bullets, 1970s |
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6 |
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Barrera, Annie, undated |
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7 |
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Bonanza, undated |
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8-9 |
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Carter, Jimmy, 1979-1981, undated |
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10 |
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Casey, Bob, 1975 |
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11 |
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Community Action Program, undated |
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12 |
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Democratic National Committee, 1967 |
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13 |
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Eisenhower, Dwight D., undated |
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14 |
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Elementary School Classroom, undated |
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15 |
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Event at the Baker Hotel, undated |
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16 |
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Freeman, Fulton, 1960s |
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17 |
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GI Forum, undated |
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18 |
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González, Henry B., 1961, undated |
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19 |
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Gonzalez Spanish Mixed Military Commission, undated |
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20 |
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Hardeman, Dorsey, undated |
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21 |
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Humphrey, Hubert, 1968 |
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22 |
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Interagency on Mexican American Affairs, 1967 |
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23 |
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International Good Neighbor Council, undated |
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24 |
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Johnson, Lyndon Baines, 1960s |
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25 |
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Kennedy, John F., 1960s |
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26 |
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Macarena, undated |
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27 |
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Memorial Service, undated |
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28 |
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Mondale and Ferraro Campaign, 1980s |
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29 |
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President's Committee on Youth Unemployment, 1960s |
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30 |
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Ramos, Rudy, 1965 |
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31 |
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Rotary International, undated |
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32 |
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Scoggin, Phil and Joan, 1990, undated |
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33 |
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Square Dance, 1958 |
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34 |
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United States Air Force Base-Laughlin Air Force Base, undated |
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35 |
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United States Army Corps of Engineers, 1963 |
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36 |
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Viva LBJ, 1960s |
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37 |
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Ximenes, Vicente T., 1967, undated |
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38 |
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Various Personal Photographs, 1942-1978, undated |
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39 |
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Various People (unidentified), 1956, undated |
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Oversized Materials, 1951-1970s |
box |
9 |
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Photographs, 1960s-1970s |
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1 |
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Johnson, Lyndon Baines, 1960s, undated |
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2 |
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State and Local Leaders, 1970s, undated |
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3 |
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Professional Materials, 1951-1953, undated |
Map_Case |
folder |
OV |
1 |
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Las Noticias (Vol. XIX, No. 31), 1952 January 3 |
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Semanario Popular Independiente (Del Rio, Texas). |
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