13 Facts About Hector Godinez

Hector G Godinez was a civil rights leader and the first Mexican-American postmaster in the United States.

Hector Godinez was appointed by President John F Kennedy as postmaster of Santa Ana in 1961.

Hector Godinez was promoted to Southern California district manager for the US Postal Service, where he managed more than 44,000 employees and had an operating budget of $750 million.

In 1946, Hector Godinez began his 48-year career with the US Postal Service, starting as a letter carrier and working his way up to a top leadership position.

Mr Hector Godinez was a founder of the League of Latin American Citizens, a group dedicated to improving conditions for Americans of Mexican descent.

Hector Godinez was a key figure in ending discrimination against Mexican American children in Orange County schools.

Hector Godinez was the recipient of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Human Rights Award and the Western Region's Community Service Award.

Hector Godinez was among the first recipients of the Postmaster General's Award for Executive Achievement.

The son of field workers, Hector Godinez was born in 1924 on the grounds of San Diego Mission.

Hector Godinez's family moved to Santa Ana in 1925, where Godinez lived for the rest of his life.

Hector Godinez was known for his collection of 50 pairs of cowboy boots and his love of Stetson hats.

Hector Godinez was a voracious reader, especially of tomes about World War II.

Hector Godinez died at St Joseph Hospital in Orange after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease.