Our school, which opened its doors in August of 2006, is named in honor of William C. Velásquez. William C. Velásquez was the founder of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project in 1974. This organization’s main objective was to get the Latino population involved in the democratic process. His vision was to not only get Latino’s out to vote, but also to get them involved as community and political leaders.
Velásquez was also one of the founding members of the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO); a Chicano youth organization aimed at social action. He didn’t stop there. He was involved in many Latino organizations and became very well known and respected.
Velásquez passed away on June 15, 1988 due to complications with kidney cancer. His legacy lives on, however. He was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor any civilian can receive, by President Clinton in 1995. He was only the second Latino ever to earn this honor. In 1997, the Southwest Voter Research Institute was changed to the William C Velásquez Institute (WCVI) as a way to honor and perpetuate Velásquez' vision and legacy.
We feel extremely honored to be able to call William C. Velásquez Elementary home.