Gustavo C. Garcia

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For the footballer, see Gustavo García.

Gustavo "Gus" C. Garcia (July 27, 1915 – June 3, 1964) was an American civil rights attorney.

Garcia was born in Laredo, Texas, and was reared in San Antonio. He attended public and Catholic schools, and was the first valedictorian of Thomas Jefferson High School, whence he graduated in 1932. He received a scholarship to study at the University of Texas, where he earned a B.A. in 1936 and a LL.B. in 1938. He was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1938, after which he worked as an assistant for the district attorney of Bexar County, Texas John Schook and city attorney Victor Keller. In 1941 he was drafted into the United States Army. Garcia served in World War II and after his return, became legal counsel for the League of United Latin American Citizens and also to the American GI Forum. Garcia assisted with the case of Hernandez v. Texas (1954) which was very important to the Mexican-American community, for it was the first case for Mexican Americans to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. He died of a seizure in San Antonio, penniless and with few remaining friends. He did receive military service at his burial at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

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