Dennis Chavez
| Dennis Chávez | |
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United States Senator from New Mexico |
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In office May 11, 1935 – November 18, 1962 |
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| Preceded by | Bronson M. Cutting |
| Succeeded by | Edwin L. Mechem |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico's at-large district |
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In office March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1935 |
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| Preceded by | Albert G. Simms |
| Succeeded by | John J. Dempsey |
| Personal details | |
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Dionisio Chávez April 8, 1888 Los Chaves, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Died | November 18, 1962 (aged 74) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Imelda Espinosa |
| Education | Georgetown University (LLB) |
Dionisio "Dennis" Chávez (April 8, 1888 – November 18, 1962) was a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of New Mexico who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1931 to 1935, and in the United States Senate from 1935 to 1962. He was the first Hispanic Democrat elected to the US Senate.
Chávez was born in Los Chaves, Valencia County, New Mexico. His parents, David and Paz Chávez, were members of families that had lived in Los Chaves for generations. There was no school in that town. In 1895, David Chávez moved his family to the Barelas section of Albuquerque 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. Later on, he studied engineering and surveying at night, and worked as an engineer for the City of Albuquerque for several years.
In 1911, Chávez married Imelda Espinosa, a member of a prominent New Mexico family. In 1914, they moved to Belen. The couple had three children: Dennis, Jr., Gloria and Ymelda. 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 for Senator Andrieus A. Jones' election campaign. In 1917, he was offered a position as assistant executive clerk of the Senate in Washington, D.C. by Senator Jones. He accepted this position, passed a special admission exam at Georgetown University Law Center and studied law at night. He graduated from Georgetown in 1920, 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.
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