Frank Tejeda

Infobox_Congressman
name=Frank Mariano Tejeda


caption=
state=Texas
district=28th
term=January 3, 1993 - January 30, 1997
preceded=District created following 1990 census
succeeded=Ciro D. Rodriguez
date of birth=Birth date|1945|10|2|mf=y
place of birth=San Antonio, Texas
date of death=death date and age |1997|1|30|1945|10|2
place of death=
spouse=
profession=
religion=
party=Democratic

Frank Mariano Tejeda (October 2, 1945–January 30, 1997) was a decorated United States Marine and an American Democratic politician from Texas. He served in the Texas House of Representatives (1976–1987), the Texas Senate (1987–1993), and in the United States House of Representatives (1993–1997).

Biography

Frank M. Tejeda was born in San Antonio, Texas on October 2, 1945. He attended St. Leo's Catholic School and graduated from Harlandale High School.

He served in the United States Marine Corps and was wounded in action during the Vietnam War (1963–1967). He was decorated for valor with the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart.cite web |accessdate=2007-04-17|url=http://www.vasthcs.med.va.gov/scd/tejeda.htm |title=Frank M. Tejeda
publisher=Frank M. Tejeda VA Outpatient Clinic, United States Department of Veterans Affairs] Tejeda reached the rank of Major in the Marine Corps Reserves.cite web|accessdate=2007-04-17 |url=http://www.usafns.com/gunnersblog/2005_03_01_archive.htm
title=Jones Honored by the Marine Corps Reserve Association
date=March 17, 2005]

After his Marine Corps service, he earned his bachelor's degree in 1970 from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, and his J.D. in 1974 from University of California, Berkeley Law School.

Tejeda began his political career in the Texas Legislature. He served in the Texas House from 1976 to 1987, and then in the Texas Senate from 1987 to 1993. While serving in the legislature, he earned two Masters degrees — in 1980, he received an M.A. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government (Harvard University), and in 1989, an LL.M. from Yale University's Law School.

Tejeda was elected with 87% of the votes to the U.S. Congress in 1992, representing the 28th Congressional District of Texas. Notably, serving on the Armed Services Committee and the Veterans' Affairs Committee, his work in the Congress focused on veterans' issues.

On January 30, 1997, shortly after the beginning of his third term, Congressman Tejeda died after a year-long battle with brain cancer. He was buried with full miliary honors at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.

Namesakes

The VA outpatient clinic in San Antonio was posthumously named in his honor.

After Tejeda's death, the Marine Corps Reserve Association created the "Major Frank M. Tejeda Leadership Award" to recognize leaders committed to the Marine Corps.

NEISD Middle School in San Antonio was posthumously named in his honor.

On 1 September 1997, U.S. Highway 281 from Interstate 410 to the Atascosa/Bexar county line was named "Congressman Frank M. Tejeda Memorial Highway" by the Texas Legislature [cite web |url = http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/memorialhwy.htm |title = Texas Memorial Highway System |publisher = Texas Department of Transportation |accessdate = 2007-11-16 The reference erroneously lists the northern bound of the memorial highway as [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/sl/sl0410.htm Loop 410] which has not existed in Bexar County since 1969, or anywhere else in the state since 1991.]

ee also

*List of notable brain tumor patients

Notes

References

:CongBio|T000113 Retrieved on 2008-02-02
*cite web|accessdate=2007-04-17|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=T000113
title=TEJEDA, Frank Mariano, (1945–1997) — Biographical Information
work=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

*cite web|accessdate=2007-04-17|url=http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/congress/tejeda.html
title=Frank M. Tejeda
work=Hispanic Americans in Congress from 1822 to 1995
publisher=Library of Congress

*cite web|accessdate=2007-04-17|url=http://www.tejedacenter.com/index.aspx?page=1049
title=Frank M. Tejeda Biography
publisher= The Frank M. Tejeda Center for Excellence in Environmental Operations

*cite web|accessdate=2007-04-17|url=http://www.houstonculture.org/hispanic/tejano4.html
title="Sixty-Fifth Session (1977–1978)" in The Tejano Struggle for Representation
author=John P. Schmal
work=The Hispanic Experience: Hispanics in Government

External links

*cite web |accessdate=2007-04-17 |url=http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/t000113/votes/
title=Votes by Frank Tejeda|work=The U.S. Congress Votes Database
publisher=The Washington Post