Leonel Castillo

Leonel Castillo (June 9, 1939 – November 4, 2013), nickname “Lone”, was born in Victoria, Texas and raised in Galveston, Texas. Castillo was a very quiet kid growing up, but it didn’t stop him from becoming involved in the community and becoming the head leader of many political groups. He was one of the first Mexican Americans to graduate from High School in 1957 and graduated with a Bachelor’s in English from St. Mary’s University in 1961. Castillo, wanting to travel the world, headed to New York City where he had no luck. After being informed that he had been accepted into the Peace Corps, he was sent to the Philippines. Once he had a wife and child it didn’t stop him from continuing his education. Instead, he went on to complete his Master’s in Community Organization. After completing his master's degree, Castillo and his family moved to Houston. Within the first week in Houston, Castillo was very involved with the community and in political groups. He was the first Hispanic Houston City Comptroller in 1972 to be elected by the city.

His parents moved to Galveston in 1940 because it was very hard for them to find jobs in Victoria, due to the depression. Galveston was beginning to grow because of the war. For Castillo’s family that meant it was easy to find a job in the shipyard, where his father worked hard for 30 years. His father was a labor organizer, labor leader, and president of the Docking Gang. The Docking Gang was a group made up of poorly educated Mexicans. His father argued for their benefits such as fighting for bathrooms. Castillo had 3 siblings, Seferino, Anita, and Mary. With his father being involved in a union, all four siblings grew up in a home with different political views and became activists and organizers.

Castillo was a very quiet kid growing up, but it didn’t stop him from becoming the head leader of many political groups. He grew up working in the docks with his father and friends, who looked after him from the time he was a very small kid with big glasses. Since Castillo was the one with a good education, he also helped his father keep the books for the union. It was rare for Mexican Americans to graduate from High School, but Castillo was one of the first. He graduated from Curwin High School in 1957. After graduating, he went on to St. Mary’s University in San Antonio where he completed his Bachelor’s in English. At St. Mary’s he stayed very busy and was involved in many organizations. Castillo was in the student government group where he later became president. He also was the leader of the Young Democrats and leader of Young Students for Civil Liberties (YDCL). A couple of his professors at St. Mary’s are the ones who triggered his interest in politics. Dr. Billy Crane was his government professor, along with Luis Schuster who encouraged Castillo as an English honors student.

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