Hector P. Garcia Middle School is a three-story, 176,000-square-foot facility in north Oak Cliff that accommodates 1,224 students. Opened in August 2007, it includes 27 core academic and special education classrooms, a career education classroom, an instructional technology classroom, an alternative education classroom, a media center, space for performing and visual arts, and a 450-seat auditorium. Outside the school, there are baseball and football fields, a running track, and tennis courts.
The school has been designated a "Green Building" by the Dallas ISD, which means it will comply with energy-efficient standards established by Leadership of Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
Biography of Hector P. Garcia
Hector P. Garcia was born Jan. 17, 1914, in Mexico. Three years later, his family fled the country during the Mexican Revolution, settling in the Rio Grande border town of Mercedes. José, Garcia's father, taught his children math, literature and history, preparing them to become medical doctors, and six of the seven did. Throughout the years, the family endured the hardships of discrimination – segregated schools, poverty and limited opportunities. The family's home was raided in 1922, and their dry goods store burned in 1924. Eventually, the Garcia children had to pick cotton to help support the family.
In spite of the challenges, Garcia graduated from Edinburgh Junior College before going on to The University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a degree in 1936. Each year, only one Mexican-American was accepted into UT's medical program – a spot that Garcia earned, completing his second degree in 1940. At that time, no Texas hospital would accept a Hispanic doctor, so Garcia conducted his medical residency in Nebraska.
Upon his return to Texas, Garcia set up his first practice in Corpus Christi. Shortly after, in 1942, he joined the Army and served in President Roosevelt's Civilian Military Training Corp in North Africa and Italy. Advancing to the rank of major, he drew the attention of the FBI when it was reported that a Mexican was seen wearing the uniform of an American officer.
Presented with a Bronze Star and six Battle Stars for his service during the war, Garcia returned to Corpus Christi with his wife and child. In 1948, Garcia formed the American GI Forum to help Mexican-American veterans who were being denied medical and financial benefits by the Veterans Administration. One year later, U.S. Senator Lyndon B. Johnson helped Garcia ensure that a Mexican-American World War II hero received services at a "whites only" funeral home and burial in Arlington National Cemetery. The victory placed Garcia and the GI Forum on the national map.
For the next 40 years, Garcia practiced medicine 15 to 20 hours a day, and his work positively affected the lives of Mexican-Americans in this country. He fought for school desegregation and equal workplace opportunity through organizations like the League of United Latin American Citizens. A highly successful political activist, he was recognized by presidents John F. Kennedy, Johnson, and Ronald Reagan and by Pope John Paul II. During his civil rights career, Garcia received many honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian award in the United States, awarded in 1984 by Reagan.
After a lifetime of helping people overcome adversity and inspiring them to learn, Garcia died at age 82 in Corpus Christi in July 1996. Garcia once said, "Education is our freedom, and an education should be everybody's business."
Biography of Hector P. Garcia