Ben Fernandez

Benjamin “Ben” Fernandez (February 24, 1925 - April 25, 2000) was an American politician, financial consultant, World War II veteran, ambassador, and the first known Hispanic to run for President of the United States.

The candidacy of Fernandez was recently publicized again in light of comments from Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson, a candidate in the 2008 presidential election, who claimed that he was the first ever Hispanic candidate. A reporter for the "Albuquerque Journal" discovered Fernandez's failed campaigns in 1980 and 1984, proving Richardson's comments to be a mistake. (Richardson campaign officials said that they were looking at only at previous Democratic Party candidates. [cite news|first=Leslie|last=Linthicum|url=http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=55317&cat=Headlines&more=/news/more-news.asp|title=Richardson Not Quite the First|work=Albuquerque Journal|publisher=HispanicBusiness.com|date=2007-02-08|accessdate=2007-03-08] )

Early life

Ben Fernandez was born in Kansas City, Kansas in a railroad boxcar. Fernandez was one of seven brothers and sisters. His parents were Mexican immigrant farm workers. The entire family worked as migrant farm workers in Michigan and Indiana, refusing government assistance. [cite web |url=http://www.rnha.org/our_history.htm |title=A Tribute to Ben Fernandez |accessdate=2007-03-08 |author= Francisco M. "Pancho" Vega|publisher= National Republican Hispanic Assembly|]

Fernandez enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II and served in the military for three years. After his tour of duty, he landed in California with only $20 and his G.I. benefits. Fernandez enrolled at the University of Redlands in Redlands, California and found a job at the local YMCA as a dishwasher and waiter. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.

Career

Upon graduating from Redlands, Fernandez moved to New York City. He worked at General Electric during the day and attended night school at the Graduate School of Business of New York University.

He received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Foreign Trade and Marketing. In addition he completed all of the course work for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Economics, Marketing, Corporate Finance, Foreign Trade and Financial History. Fernandez completed the four year course work in two years.

General Electric recruited him for its financial management training program. Following his employment and training with General Electric, he was appointed Director of Marketing Research at the O. A. Sutton Corporation of Wichita, Kansas.

After three years at the post he moved to Los Angeles, California, and became a consulting economist, specializing in the organization of savings and loan associations and commercial banks.

His work as a financial consultant gained national attention. Between 1960 through 1976, Fernandez was asked to testify over 500 times under oath before federal and state agencies on his specialties.

He also received national acclaim for his innovation in business and was recognized by the United States Department of Commerce for his work with the National Economic Development Association (NEDA), a non-profit corporation Fernandez founded to foster the free enterprise system among Spanish-speaking Americans. NEDA was responsible for over $2 billion in private sector loans, with a default factor of less than two percent.

Through his various business ventures Ben Fernandez became a millionaire.

Civic involvement

Fernandez was very active in American political life and various civic organizations.

In 1967 Ben Fernandez was one of five World War II veterans who came together in Washington, D.C. to discuss Hispanic involvement in American Politics. Together with Manuel Lujan of New Mexico; Fernando “Benji” Oaxaca of California; Martin Castillo of California and Francisco M. Vega of Michigan, Fernandez went on to start the Republican National Hispanic Council.

Fernandez was elected as the group’s first national chairman. The group would later change its name to the The Republican National Hispanic Assembly, and became an official branch of the Republican National Committee under the leadership of then-RNC Chairman George H.W. Bush.

He was a strong supporter of the Republican Party and worked closely with various candidates. Some of his responsibilities in his early political career included serving as National Co-Chairman of the Finance Committee to Re-Elect the President in 1972, National Chairman of the Hispanic Finance Committee to Re-Elect the President in 1972, and member of the Executive Committee of the RNC in 1976.

Fernandez was appointed as Special Ambassador to the Republic of Paraguay in 1973. While there he represented the United States at the inauguration of the President of Paraguay, and addressed the banking and savings and loan industries.

In 1978, Fernandez announced his candidacy for the party's nomination for President. He was the first known American of Hispanic origin to campaign for the presidency. Running in a crowded primary field in 1980, he appeared on the ballot in 18 primaries, including. He received about a million votes nationally, enough to win three delegates at the Republican nominating convention. Fernandez lost the nomination to Ronald Reagan, but campaigned on Reagan's behalf during the general election campaign, and was appointed to the Presidential Transition Team upon Reagan's victory.

In 1984 Fernandez attempted a second run for the Presidency, but was unsuccessful. In that year, he basically kept to the New Hampshire Primary, along with frequent candidate Harold Stassen. Both received around one percent each. Ben Fernandez also ran a similar scale campaign in 1988.

Later years

The father of three grown daughters,and Ben Fernandez resided in Las Vegas, Nevada until his death. He continued his work professionally and politically even after his retirement, often traveling throughout the country as a consulting economist. In 2000 he served on the McCain Presidential Finance Committee, his last political involvement before his death.

References

External links

* [http://www.rnha.org Republican National Hispanic Assembly web site]