LSA University of Michigan
Most University of Michigan Law students who study in Hutchins Hall do not realize the importance of the portraits that hang.
Most University of Michigan Law students who study in Hutchins Hall do not realize the importance of the portraits that hang.
The people whose portraits line the walls represent parts of history. Hutchins Hall, room 120 is dedicated to State Legislators and it is the room where a portrait that represents an illustrious figure in the annals of Mexican-American history,
José Tomás Canales, is hung. Alumni José Tomás Canales, who went by J.T. Canales, was honored by the University by being included in Hutchins Hall as a person of special interest for his work as a Texas Legislator and advocate for Mexican-American Texans.
J.T. Canales lived an affluent life devoted to public service and he made his mark as both a lawyer and a politician. In excavating the history and life work of J.T. Canales, another history that has long been buried gets uncovered.
Arguably, J.T. Canales’ most noteworthy contribution was his role in the Texas Ranger investigation. The Texas Rangers discriminated against, abused, and killed people of Mexican descent.
(Canales with students at the open house of the J.T. Canales Elementary School . Notice barefoot children. Photo from The Brownsville Herald)
Canales defended against the Rangers, leading the investigation and demanding a reorganization of the force. This is only one of the many extraordinary things Canales accomplished in his life before passing away on March 30, 1976, in Brownsville (Schmal).
J.T. Canales was born on March 7, 1877, at his family’s ranch house in Alice, Nueces County, Texas. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Andres Canales, pioneer residents who owned large amounts of land. During his adolescent years, Canales attended both public and private schools, including Kansas High School, in Kansas City which he graduated from in 1896.
J.T. Canales was born on March 7, 1877, at his family’s ranch house in Alice, Nueces County, Texas. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Andres Canales, pioneer residents who owned large amounts of land. During his adolescent years, Canales attended both public and private schools, including Kansas High School, in Kansas City which he graduated from in 1896.
While he was in Kansas, at sixteen-years-old, Canales converted from his Catholic upbringing to Presbyterianism. That October, Canales was admitted into the University of Michigan (UM) Law School (Anders).
While at UM, Canales lived in West Quadrangle, a dorm very close to the law school. During his last year as a student, Canales was the president of the law school’s Sumner Society, a student organization for the purpose of literary culture. He graduated from UM in 1899 at the young age of twenty-two, receiving his Bachelor of Law degree.
After graduation Canales returned to Texas to practice law, starting his career in the town of Corpus Christi, later moving to Laredo, and then Brownsville. His whole career was spent in Texas.
While at UM, Canales lived in West Quadrangle, a dorm very close to the law school. During his last year as a student, Canales was the president of the law school’s Sumner Society, a student organization for the purpose of literary culture. He graduated from UM in 1899 at the young age of twenty-two, receiving his Bachelor of Law degree.
Legal and Political Career
After graduation Canales returned to Texas to practice law, starting his career in the town of Corpus Christi, later moving to Laredo, and then Brownsville. His whole career was spent in Texas.
1904: He worked in the county assessor’s office (Ribb, 45).
1905: He served on the Constitutional Amendment, Military Affairs, Counties, and Irrigation Committees (Ribb, 45).
1907: He headed the Public Lands and Land Office Committee and sat on committees looking at Banks and Banking, Private Corporations, Reforms in Civil and Criminal Procedure, and Stock and Stock Raising (Ribb, 50).
1909: He was the chairmanship of the Committee on Reforms in Civil and Criminal Procedure and positions on the Judiciary, Counties, Criminal Jurisprudence, and Irrigation Committees (Ribb, 50).
1915-1919: He was a partner of the Canales and Dancy firm (Oliveira).
1919-1925: He was a partner of the Canales and Davenport firm (Oliveira).
1929-1931: He was a partner of the Canales and Eidman firm (Oliveira).
1930-1937: He sat as City attorney (Oliveira).
1932: He served as president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (Anders).
Throughout his life, Canales valued education and supported efforts for improvement of curriculum and accessibility in Texas. He believed that education was the key to success.
Throughout his life, Canales valued education and supported efforts for improvement of curriculum and accessibility in Texas. He believed that education was the key to success.
Canales was elected to the Texas legislature in 1905 as a representative for Cameron County and served three terms until 1911. He then served as County Superintendent of Schools from November 1912 to December 1914.
During this time he initiated the Summer Normal, which provided education courses for teachers and prospective teachers that provided preparation for the state teacher-certification examination, and held the first Tri-County Teachers Institute in the towns of Brownsville and San Benito (Oliveira).
A few years later, he was elected to the State Legislature serving two terms from 1917 to 1921. It was during this time that he wrote the “Canales Act” on Irrigation and Actionable Fraud Statute, which shut down fraudulent land corporations, he voted for liberal support of public education, including the state university and other higher education institutions.
Other accomplishments of Canales include, serving as president of the Brownsville Historical Association, vice president of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Council of Boy Scouts of America, and was appointed by Gov. Allan Shivers to the Interim Committee, which studied the state water laws which reference to irrigation in the state of Texas (Oliveira).
A new elementary school in Brownsville, Texas was established in 1949 and named after J.T. Canales.
A new elementary school in Brownsville, Texas was established in 1949 and named after J.T. Canales.
According to James Pace, president of the local school board, the school was named after Canales “because of his courageous and unselfish leadership to the cause of education during his tenure as County Superintendent of Public Instruction of Cameron County.” At the time of the open house, the J.T. Canales Elementary School had eight classrooms, ten teachers, and 375 students enrolled in first through third grade (Oliveira).
To read his story, click on linkm: https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/presente/2018/04/22/the-life-of-jose-tomas-canales/
8 comments:
From Fronton to Canales instead of that hairless baboso but it wouldn't pass down here why? because gringos the superior race and will not have it canales is meskin...
The bunker b**ch is an obese slob who can barely get his fat, orange a** out of a golf cart. It's a wonder that what passes for Dementia Donny's brain can generate enough power to operate his lips for his latest lie.
I arrived here too late to know him--unquestionably one of the greatest citizens and leaders in the history of our community. He was a man of great dignity and probity, and an inspiration to the historians who have followed his path
Alice texas is in Jim Wells county.
Law enforcement agencies in New Jersey will be required to publish annual list of disciplined officers
This needs to be done everywhere together with teachers...
Thank you J.T. Candles
For all you did for Texas and RGV.
P.S.
Puro Canales
P.S.A
Juan beautiful story ..proud of you.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott says that he is “concerned, but not alarmed” about the continuing rise in COVID-19 infections and deaths in Texas because there are still plenty of hospital beds available. The fact that numbers are rising indicates “no real need to ratchet back the opening of businesses in the state.” The real message is that those of us fortunate enough to have health insurance, in a state with the highest number of uninsured residents in the nation, are assured a place to be treated and to possibly die.
Is that why many of us are acting as though there’s nothing to worry about? Because if we become ill there will be a hospital bed waiting for us or the person we infect? Is that why we fail to social distance, to wear masks, and to avoid large gatherings?
Abbott’s reckless attitude, his lack of centralized and proactive leadership mandating precautionary measures for all, and his cynical disregard for the well-being of those who do not stuff his campaign coffers reveal him to be a pandemic enabler. That he is not alarmed is disastrous.
Alice is in her house on la calle catorse guey..
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