Carlos Cadena

Carlos C. Cadena(1917–2001) was an Americanlawyer,civil rightsactivistandjudgebased inSan Antonio,Texas.

Carlos Cristian Cadena, who was the son of Mexican immigrants, was born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1917 and attended Catholic school. He earned his LL.B. degree from theUniversity of TexasLaw School in 1940, serving as editor of theTexas Law Reviewand graduatingsumma cum laude.

Cadena's long legal career was interrupted only by a term as aradiooperator in theUS Army Air ForcesduringWorld War II.In his early years he worked as assistant city attorney (and later city attorney) for San Antonio, was partner in a law firm, and also taught constitutional law atSt. Mary's Universityin San Antonio. Cadena, a father of one, married Gloria Villa Galvan, a young war widow with eight children. Together they raised their nine children.

Cadena worked with fellow attorneyGus Garciain the landmark caseHernández v. Texas(1954), arguing before theUS Supreme Courtfor the end of a practice of systematic exclusion ofHispanicsfrom jury service inJackson County, Texas.Even thoughMexican-Americanscomposed more than 10% of the county's population, no person of Mexican ancestry had served on a jury there in over 25 years. The high court, led by Chief JusticeEarl Warren,ruled that United States citizens could not be excluded from jury duty based on national origin, because such exclusion denied the accused a jury of his peers. Cadena and Garcia were the first Mexican Americans to argue and win a case in front of the Supreme Court.

Cadena returned to the law faculty, teaching constitutional law at St. Mary's from 1961 until 1965, when Texas governor John Connolly appointed him an associate justice of the 4thCourt of Appeals,the first Mexican American to hold such a high ranking judgeship. He was named the Court's chief justice in 1977 by then-governorDolph Briscoeand held that position until his retirement in 1990 after 25 years on the bench. He continued to serve part-time as a senior appellate justice, as well as acting of counsel to the San Antonio law firm of Charles A. Nicholson, until his death from lung cancer in 2001. Cadena was survived by his wife and nine children.

Cadena received many state and national awards during his more than fifty years of legal practice. The premiere student society of St. Mary's Law School is the Carlos Cadena Law Student Dining Society, and one of the University of Texas Law School's societies is named in his honor. In February 2009, the Public Broadcasting System showed a programA Class Apart,centering on the Hernandez case and its social implications for Mexican Americans.

External links

• Carlos Cristian Cadenafrom theHandbook of TexasOnline.Accessed February 25, 2009.
• Hernández v. State of Texasfrom theHandbook of TexasOnline
• Texas House Resolution Honoring Carlos Cadena
• Hispanic Vista article on Carlos Cadena, Gus Garcia and their civil rights efforts
• American ExperienceepisodeA Class ApartArchived2010-03-15 at theWayback Machine- Aired onPBSon February 23, 2009.