Kika de la Garza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kika de la Garza
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| Chair of the House Agriculture Committee | |
| In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Tom Foley |
| Succeeded by | Pat Roberts |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 15th district |
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| In office January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Joe M. Kilgore |
| Succeeded by | Rubén Hinojosa |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 38th district |
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| In office 1953–1965 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Bud Atwood |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Eligio de la Garza II
September 22, 1927 Mercedes, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | March 13, 2017 (aged 89) McAllen, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Edinburg College St. Mary's University, Texas (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy United States Army |
| Years of service | 1945–1946 (Navy) 1950–1952 (Army) |
Eligio "Kika" de la Garza II (born September 22, 1927, died March 13, 2017) was an important American politician. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Kika represented the 15th congressional district of Texas. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 1997.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kika de la Garza was born on September 22, 1927. He grew up in Mission, located in Hidalgo County. When he was seventeen, he joined the United States Navy. He served in the Navy for two years.
Military Service and Law School
After his time in the Navy, Kika continued his education. He attended Edinburg Junior College. He also studied at the United States Army Artillery School in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. From 1950 to 1952, he was a lieutenant in the Army. He served in the 37th Field Artillery Regiment during the Korean War.
After returning home, Kika earned his law degree. He studied at St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio. He then worked as a lawyer for several years in the Rio Grande Valley.
Political Career in Texas
Kika de la Garza began his political career in Texas. He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives. He served there from 1953 to 1965.
Important Laws He Helped Create
While in the Texas House, Kika was known for supporting many new laws. These laws focused on education and the environment. He helped create bills to protect important natural areas called wetlands. He also worked to start state-sponsored preschools for young children. Kika also supported building more international bridges to Mexico.
From 1955 to 1957, he was the only Hispanic member in the Texas House. Later, another Mexican American member, Oscar M. Laurel, joined him in 1957.
Serving in the U.S. Congress
In 1964, Kika de la Garza ran for the United States House of Representatives. He was a strong supporter of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. Kika won the election and began representing South Texas in Congress.
Leading the Agriculture Committee
From 1981 to 1994, Kika de la Garza held a very important position. He was the chairman of the Agriculture Committee. In this role, he helped pass many important laws. These laws changed how the government supported farmers.
He worked on bills that:
- Reorganized the system for lending money to farmers.
- Improved the farm insurance system.
- Changed the United States Department of Agriculture.
- Updated laws about pesticides.
Improving U.S.-Mexico Relations
Kika de la Garza also worked to improve relations between the U.S. and Mexico. He voted for important laws like the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He also supported the Civil Rights Act of 1968. He worked hard to increase trade between the two countries. He was very important in passing the law for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This agreement made trade easier between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Retirement and Legacy
Kika de la Garza retired from public service in 1997. After retiring, he returned home to Texas. He donated all his official papers and records from Congress to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. This collection is now kept at the UTRGV Edinburg Campus library. It was made public in 2012.
Kika de la Garza lived in McAllen, Texas, with his wife Lucille. He passed away on March 13, 2017, due to kidney failure. He is buried at the Valley Memorial Gardens in McAllen, Texas.
See also
