Benny Martinez LULAC Collection

This collection contains the papers of Benny Martinez, lifelong LULAC member, Army veteran, and Tejano activist. Materials include LULAC publications, convention programs, news clippings, as well as non-LULAC publications such as Latino magazines or event programs. The collection is arranged in two series: LULAC Materials, and Other Publications.

The LULAC Materials series is arranged in seven subseries. The national publications subseries contains a partial collection of programs from the annual LULAC national convention, ranging from years 1949 to 2012. Additionally, the subseries contains press releases welcoming guests to the 50th anniversary convention in Houston Texas in 1979. Lastly, the subseries contains nationally-distributed LULAC materials, such as brochures detailing the history of LULAC and two publications from LULAC's The Latin American Project.

The Texas state publications subseries contains state convention programs from 1951 to 2010, a 2001 edition of Laredo magazine Hometown, welcoming Texas LULACs to the 2001 state convention, the 2010 Texas LULAC five year plan, and lastly, several Texas LULAC newsletters from 1973 to 2009. The Texas districts publications subseries contains publications from Texas LULAC districts 4, 8, 10, and 18, including convention programs and district newsletters. The Texas council publications subseries contains event programs produced by several Texas LULAC councils from 1965 to 2010. The LULAC events subseries contains programs from LULAC hosted balls, dances, and pageants, as well as programs relating to the annually-hosted LULAC Feria/Fiesta de las Flores ball, and other scholarship-related events such as the LULAC scholarship golf tournament, and other banquets.

The Regional LULAC publications subseries contains two items, a program from the California state LULAC twenty-fifth anniversary and one issue of the Albuquerque LULAC News Report from 1967. The LULAC meeting materials, minutes, resolutions, and correspondence file contains resolutions passed at the 55th LULAC State Convention in 1984, Texas state executive board meeting minutes from March 11, 1989, executive board correspondence, a presentation from the Strategic Planning Conference Phase 1 with HomewardBound, and lastly, the program for the Youth and Collegiate Federal Career Exploration Forum held in 2006. The LULAC elections materials file contains campaign materials for candidates for LULAC National President, National Vice President, National Treasurer, as well as other positions, such as Vice President for Southwest, and National vice President for Young Adults.

The final subseries, News clippings, contains clippings from both LULAC publications and publications writing about LULAC. Often, clippings relate to LULAC controversies. Notable are news clippings about a case relating to the 1989 Texas school bus accident in which a soft-drink delivery truck collided with a school bus, killing 29, an 1990 infight over the addition of new LULAC councils, and many controversies revolving around LULAC National President Jose Velez.

The Other Publications series contains newsletters, programs, and magazines concerning several topics, but distinctly not LULAC-centered. Notable materials are a copy of the 1965 paper "A Salute and a Toast to the History of the Mexican-American in Houston" by John Coronado, written for the National Mexican American Historical Society, a copy of the Harris County Paso 5th Anniversary and Salute to Valley Farm Workers issue, the program from the American GI Forum 26th anniversary, the program from the Texas Independence Community's Tejano tribute to Hispanic pioneers, and publications centered on Latino/Hispanic community. The oversized materials contain news clippings from a 1990 health scare in Waco, concerning inhalants, a 1997 special edition of the Houston Chronicle, covering the 50th anniversary of the Texas City disaster, and an article about police profiling.