Content Abstract: The Bexar County Women's Political Caucus is a multi-partisan organization committed to electing greater numbers of women to public office. The organization endorses candidates and publicly addresses issues relevant to women in Bexar County and San Antonio. The Bexar County Women's Political Caucus was formed in 1971, shortly after the forming of the National Women's Political Caucus and the Texas Women's Political Caucus, and is affiliated with both groups. They host conferences, organize political workshops, and hold fundraising events for candidates and for themselves. The collection spans the years 1974 through 2002 and reflects the organization's work to educate local voters about women's issues and the candidacy of politicians who share their ideals. The records consist of bylaws, correspondence, financial documents, membership lists, meeting minutes, newsclippings, and scrapbooks related to their efforts to raise money for candidates and programs, educate local voters, and campaign for and promote particular candidates sympathetic to the organization's causes.

Content Abstract: Frank J. Bosshardt was a prominent San Antonio, Texas attorney and property owner. He was active in local San Antonio politics and served as Bexar County Commissioner. He was also a notary public and President of the Medina Highlands Toll Road Association. The Frank J. Bosshardt Papers comprise various legal documents from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, created both by Bosshardt and fellow San Antonio attorney Horace Shelton. These materials help to document the geographic and economic growth of San Antonio during this period.

Content Abstract: Albert Garza Bustamante's public service career includes 12 years as a Bexar County Judge and four consecutive terms as a Democratic Congressman representing Texas from 1985-1992. The bulk of the collection consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence from constituents and colleagues. The remainder of the records compile Congressman Bustamante's legislative record through vote books, a legislative profile and his weekly newspaper column.

Content Abstract: Emma Martin Carter was the founder of the Federation Church Women in San Antonio in 1920. She was founding president of the Women's Democratic Club of Bexar County and National Democratic Delegate to the 1924 DNC in New York. Carter was also a member of the Alamo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Albert Sidney Johnston chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Daughters of the American Colonists and the Rebekah Lodge. The collection the years 1896-1957 and consists of correspondence, scrapbook materials, newsclippings, and materials on the 1924 Democratic National Convention.

Content Abstract: The Francisco A. Chapa family included Francisco A. Chapa, founder of Chapa Drug Company and La Botica de Leon (the Lion Drugstore); Adelaida Rivas Chapa, of the Rivas family, wife of Francisco A. Chapa; Frank L. Chapa, son of Francisco and Adelaida Chapa; Blanche Laborde, of the Laborde family, wife of Frank L. Chapa; Isabel and Beatrice Chapa, daughters of Francisco and Adelaida Chapa. The papers consist of correspondence, drug store records, legal documents, military records, clippings, photographs, and assorted materials.

Content Abstract: Communities Organized for Public Service (COPS) is an organization of 26 parishes in the predominantly Hispanic, low-income West Side and South Side of San Antonio. Founded in 1974, it is the oldest of the Interfaith Area Foundation (IAF) organizations in Texas and, indeed, in the entire national network. The Metro Alliance, which shares office space and many resources with C.O.P.S., formed in 1989 through a merger of the East Side Alliance, composed of African American and Hispanic low- and lower-middle income churches, and the Metropolitan Congregational Alliance. The bulk of the collection consists of news clippings, project files, reports, budgets, programs and general office files.

Content Abstract: The Community Alliance for a United San Antonio (CAUSA) was formed in 2012 as a nonpartisan coalition of groups and individuals whose aim is to promote non-discrimination laws and policies within the City of San Antonio and Bexar County. The records consist of electronic records, print materials, audio visual materials, and artifacts.

Content Abstract: Arcenio A. Garcia was elected Mayor of Cotulla, Texas in 1972 as a member of the Raza Unida Party, becoming the first Mexican-American to serve as mayor of the city. He also won the 1974 election, but was removed from the position when the city council ruled that Mr. Garcia was living outside Cotulla at the time of the election. In 1976, Garcia was elected County Commissioner of Precinct #3 in La Salle County, Texas. In addition to his positions as Mayor and County Commissioner, Garcia was a member of Barrios Unidos, a public service organization, which he served as Chairperson and Public Official on the Board. He was also editor of the bulletin El Informador (The Informer). The collection documents Garcia's work as Chairperson of Barrios Unidos, Mayor of Cotulla and County Commissioner of Precinct #3 of La Salle County. It also includes general information related to the Raza Unida Party and Garcia as a member of the Democratic Party of Texas.

Content Abstract: Fred R. Garza is a Chicano activist who lives in San Antonio, Texas. He has been active in organizations such as La Raza Unida Party, the Texas Farm Workers Union, and Teatro de los Barrios. The collection consists of cultural and political posters from the Chicano movement.

Content Abstract: Leo Garza was a political cartoonist who drew for the San Antonio Express News from 1987 to 2007. His daily strip cartoons touched on a variety of national and local topics, from national and state elections, to San Antonio social and cultural events. Characters Nacho Gurache and his sidekick Fulano entertained readers with their comical misadventures and often frank commentary on San Antonio life. The collection is comprised of original pen and ink and mixed media comic panels and strips, composed on matte paper and art board.

Content Abstract: Ernestine Glossbrenner served 16 years as Texas State Representative from 1977 until her retirement in 1993. While she contributed important legislation to other causes such as worker safety, Glossbrenner is most known for her victories in the realm of public education. Glossbrenner was heavily involved with local and national women's organizations during her time in office. The Ernestine Glossbrenner Papers document the State Representative's career through correspondence, legal documentation, photographs, awards and printed materials. These papers also include materials of her time as an educator before assuming office in 1977. Finally, a small amount of her post-political activities are documented through 1996. The collection is separated into three series: Political Career, Texas Women's Political Caucus and Personal Records.

Content Abstract: Charles A. Gonzalez served seven terms in the United States Congress as the Representative from the 20th Congressional District of Texas, which includes the City of San Antonio. The papers document Gonzalez's career in the United States Congress from 1998-2012. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence, reports, legislation and project files.

Content Abstract: Elena Guajardo became the first openly gay candidate to secure a place on San Antonio's City Council in 2005. She advocated for environmental protections, improved public services, and serving the needs of working class families. Papers document her campaign to win the District 7 seat on San Antonio's City Council and subsequent re-election campaigns. The collection contains materials from her time on City Council as well as items that document Guajardo's involvement in community projects.

Content Abstract: Dr. José Angel Gutiérrez was a leading Chicano activist and political leader in the 1960s and 1970s in Texas. He was also one of the co-founders of La Raza Unida political party that helped to raise public consciousness of Chicano civil rights issues. The papers consist of correspondence, reports, minutes, publications, articles, photographic materials, audio tapes, posters, and ephemera. These materials document the breadth of José Angel Gutiérrez's interests, research and social activism early in his career. The bulk of the materials document Gutiérrez's activities in Oregon during the 1980s.

Content Abstract: The League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area is a non-partisan organization promoting active and informed participation of citizens in government. The collection contains annual reports, meeting minutes, membership directories, newsletters, state convention materials, financial records, publications, statements of position, newspaper columns, Voter's Guide, newspaper clippings and photocopied scrapbook pages. Collectively the records document the organization's topics such as downtown revitalization, education, economic development, health, housing, environment, and issues in state and local government including revision of the Texas Constitution.

Content Abstract: Frank Lombardino (1929-1992), conservative Democrat and the self-proclaimed “father of the University of Texas at San Antonio,” served in the Texas State House of Representatives from 1967-1975 and in the Texas State Senate from 1975-1979. House and Senate bills supported or initiated by, or of interest to, Frank Lombardino are at the core of this collection. The bills are in many forms (engrossed, enrolled, etc.) and constitute the largest portion of the collection. Some folders contain only copies of bills or other legislative materials, but other folders include relevant non-legislative materials, such as correspondence, memoranda, newspaper clippings, reports, magazine articles, and other printed materials.

Content Abstract: In December 1975 Mexican American Democrats (MAD) of Texas was formed to provide a formal structure to make gains for Mexican Americans in the Democratic Party. The records of MAD contain correspondence, minutes, clippings and other materials relating to the political and social activism of Eugene and Sylvia Rodriguez, charter members of MAD.

Content Abstract: Laura Burleson Negley was the first woman from Bexar County elected to the Texas legislature. Richard Negley founded Negley Paint Company and was director of Alamo National Bank in San Antonio. The couple had 3 sons, two of whom lost their lives in World War II. The collection primarily consists of correspondence between Laura Burleson Negley and her immediate family members. These papers show the social and business ties that the family maintained in San Antonio, and illustrate the etiquette and social customs of the time. The papers also personalize the war experience (WWII) and its impact on families in San Antonio.

Content Abstract: Eugene Nolte, Sr. was also a successful businessman in the community of Seguin. He served as President of both the Merchants Ice and Cold Storage Company and the Seguin Milling and Power Company. He also succeeded his father as head of the banking firm E. Nolte and Sons, one of the earliest banking firms in Seguin.Eugene "Mike" Nolte, Jr., like his father, was a powerful voice in the Republican Party and a noted businessman. This collection consists of correspondence, newspaper clippings and photographs. Most of the material is from Eugene Nolte Sr.'s years as Republican State Executive Committee Chairman from 1921 to 1933. Eugene Nolte Jr. is also prominent in the collection. In addition to Republican Party activities, the material also documents the business and other activities of the Nolte family in the community of Seguin Texas.

Content Abstract: Albert A. Peña was born on the west side of San Antonio on December 15, 1917. A self-proclaimed "Chicano Activist," Judge Peña has been actively involved in a wide range of liberal social causes, particularly in defending and advancing the rights of Mexican-Americans, throughout his legal and political career. This collection of papers reflects many of Judge Peña's interests and his involvement in local and national Democratic party politics. Although the collection dates from 1952-1977, the bulk of the materials cover Peña's tenure as Bexar County Commissioner from 1956-1972.

Content Abstract: Mario Marcel Salas was born in San Antonio, Texas on July 30, 1949. Salas became an advocate for San Antonio's African-American community in the early 1970s and was a key member of local activist groups such as the San Antonio chapter of the Student National Coordinating Committee, Organizations United for Eastside Development, Black Coalition on Mass Media, and Frontline 2000. He was elected to the City Council of San Antonio in 1997, where he served two full terms as Representative for District 2. The collections spans the years 1968 through 2016 and consists of materials spanning a wide range of Salas' interests. Items include photographs and publications, information about organizations, people, topics, and events of interest to Salas, such as revolutionary and progressive political movements in the U.S. and abroad, police brutality, and political prisoners.

Content Abstract: San Antonio 100 (SA100) is an organization established in 1984 by seven San Antonio women who participated in the 1983 pilot program of Leadership Texas, a forum designed to prepare women for the reponsibilties of leadership at all levels of public service. The purpose of SA100 is to establish and maintain a membership of at least 100 professional, social, and community women leaders dedicated to making a positive impact upon San Antonio. The records consist of correspondence, memos, minutes, reports, printed material, financial material, newspaper clippings, photographs, and ephemera documenting the foundation, daily function, and monthly meetings of this San Antonio women's organization.

Content Abstract: In 1974, William C. Velásquez established the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project (SVREP) in San Antonio, Texas. SVREP is responsible for conducting thousands of voter registration drives. These events have registered over two million Latino voters, and they allow individuals to play an active role in their community through education and training. The Southwest Voter Research Institute (SVRI) was established in 1984 in conjunction with SVREP. SVRI’s mission is to conduct in-depth research in order to provide the public and Latino leaders with relevant information concerning the political opinions and behavior of Latinos. SVREP and the SVRI worked both collaboratively and independently, and they played an essential role in Latino voter mobilization and participation. The Southwest Voter Registration Education Project collection is separated into eight series: Organizational Files; Department Files; Reference, Writings, and Publications; Projects; Artifacts and Ephemera; Photographics; Electronic and Audio Visual Materials; and Maps. These series pertain to the history and growth of the organization.

Content Abstract: Herbert John Spiro was a noted educator in political science, a U.S. ambassador, and a candidate for public office. Spiro spent over a decade as a member of the faculty at Harvard, and taught political science at Amherst College and the University of Pennsylvania and published thirteen books on government. From 1970-1975, Spiro was a senior member of the policy planning staff at the U.S. State Department, and under President Ford became ambassador to Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. Correspondence, course work, notes, papers, classified files, audio and videotapes, photographs, literary manuscripts, and printed materials spanning 1946-1994 document Herbert J. Spiro's education and teaching career, military service, government service, and involvement in politics and political campaigns. The bulk of the collection consists of academia office files, correspondence, course notes and lecture notes from Spiro's teaching career at Harvard, Amherst, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Texas.

Content Abstract: The Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio's mission is to participate in political activities that create a strong and effective voice for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities in local and state policy decisions. Records document the activities, events, and meetings of the Board of Directors and general membership. The records are comprised of correspondence, event materials, financial records, meeting minutes, planning documents, and assorted print materials.

Content Abstract: Texas Women Lawyers, formally established in 1994, is an umbrella group of women's bar associations and organizations created to share ideas and resources and speak effectively with a common voice on women's issues in the legal profession. The group provides assistance and information to other legal women's groups in Texas through networking, mentoring, legislative updates, and a database of member information including areas of practice. The group also sponsors quarterly socials in each region, coupled with informal and informational continuing legal education, to foster new and better relationships among women lawyers for business development, mentoring and friendship. The collection spans the years 1994 through 2005 and includes bylaws, correspondence, financial information, meeting minutes, membership lists, the organization's newsletter Women's Link, photographs, publicity, and a copy of the website. These materials primarily reflect the first three years of the organization, and include information about the coming together of Texas women's legal organizations to form Texas Women Lawyers. Of note is the correspondence that chronicles the communications between the women who worked to bring together representatives from women's legal organizations throughout the states.

Content Abstract: The Texas Women's Alliance (TWA) is a nonprofit women's organization that researches issues, makes policy recommendations, and works to influence government, with a focus on Texas affairs. Formed in 1984, the founders of the TWA believed there was a need for an organization to represent conservative and business-oriented women. The TWA attempts to recruit women who are professional, business and civic leaders; its activities include conducting seminars and conferences on issues, publishing position papers, and testifying before Texas Senate and House committees. This collection spans the years 1984 through 1995 and includes meeting minutes, reports, position papers, correspondence and other papers, document the history, activities, programs and policy positions of the Texas Women's Alliance (TWA), in its first 11 years. The collection reflects TWA's position on the state budget, economic growth, international trade, U.S.-Mexico relations, tax reform, judicial selection (merit election of judges), public school reform, higher education funding, and pay equity.

Content Abstract: Signs and related ephemera in the collections were created by a variety of members of the public and UTSA students who attended rallies and marches in the San Antonio, New Braunfels, and Austin areas. UTSA Special Collections made public requests for the donation of these materials. The collection consists mostly of hand made signs but also includes artist prints, a pink knitted hat, two buttons, a sticker, and a small amount of flyers.

Content Abstract: The Institute of Texan Cultures Oral History Collection originated from a regional meeting of the Texas Historical Commission held in Bandera, TX in 1973 calling for the creation of an oral history program to document the history of San Antonio and Bexar County. The collection consists of 900+ interviews conducted since 1967 and document a broad range of activities related to life in Texas.

Content Abstract: Leticia Van de Putte has been a member of the Texas Legislature since 1991. First as a member of the Texas House of Representatives (District 115) and then as a member of the Texas Senate (District 26). The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs and awards.

Content Abstract: Willie (William) C. Velásquez was a Chicano movement organizer and the founder of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project as well as a co-founder as the political party Mexican American Youth Organization and the Mexican American Unity Council. He is nationally recognized for his work including receiving The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest national honor any civilian can receive, and was only the second Latino to earn that honor. A scrapbook comprised of news clippings as well as a number of folders of news clippings, condolence cards, invitations, materials pertaining to the acceptance of the Medal of Freedom, and a few photographs.

Content Abstract: Ruthe Winegarten was born August 26, 1929 in Texas; she was an activist, author, and a historian. The records are primarily made up of a manuscript and correspondence, photocopies of clippings, excerpts from book chapters and hand written notes.

Content Abstract: The exhibit originated as a Texas Sesquicentennial project funded at state expense through members of the Women's Legislative Caucus, a group consisting of women House members. The exhibit was first shown in 1987. In 1994, the exhibit was updated with funding by Patrick M.W. Johnson. Johnson and Kelly Martino of Houston collected new photographs, created, designed, and constructed the updated exhibit; subsequent updates were made in later years. The original exhibit was freestanding with images of women legislators mounted and matted on blue particleboard. To complete the exhibit, eight Texas artists volunteered their time and talent to sketch the portraits of women officeholders whose photographs were unavailable. The collection consists of 77 portraits of women who have served in the Texas legislature, as well as accompanying captions and credits displayed in the Women in Texas Government exhibit.