Olga Peña
(111 pages)
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Biography:
Olga Peña was born Olga Ramos in 1925 and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She studied Folklórico dance and graduated from San Antonio 'Tech' (Fox Technical High School) in 1943. She earned an Associate's Degree from San Antonio College, and attended both Draughn's Business College and St. Mary's University. She was a member of the auxiliary of the American G.I. Forum and was the first Mexican American to join the Bexar County Democratic Women's Club, serving as treasurer. She actively worked on campaigns for major democratic candidates and organized the political campaigns of her husband, Albert Peña, prior to their divorce in 1972. She worked with the Mexican American Unity Council (MAUC) and was a member of the boards of the Wolverine Council, the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG), and the Bexar County Child Welfare Board.
Interview Summary:
Olga Peña speaks briefly of her family background and her early life in San Antonio, Texas. She refers to Albert Peña's campaign for state representative against Ray T. Felixson in the early 1950s, his run for Bexar County Commissioner in 1956, and his involvement in the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). She discusses his political group, the Loyal Latin American Democrats, their work with the Democratic Party conventions in the 1950s and 1960s, including Adlai Stevenson's campaign, and with the Raza Unida Party. She talks about the involvement of Lalo Solis and Ruben Mungia [sic, Munguía] in the Democratic Party and notes briefly her husband's civil rights and race discrimination cases. She recalls the startup of radio station KEDA and describes the impact of redistricting efforts on election outcomes. She tells about Albert Peña's connection with the case of Communist Party member Angela Davis through his colleague G. J. Sutton, and its effect on his 1972 election campaign, and reads a communication from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., about Albert Peña's interest in the Poor People's Campaign. She comments on her work with Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) which led to a protest march in Del Rio in 1969 as part of the Chicano Movement. She mentions the campaigns of Henry B. Gonzales and assails his attitudes, particularly those toward the Political Association of Spanish-speaking Organizations (PASSO) and the Viva Kennedy Clubs. She gives the underlying reasons for her divorce and discusses her life following the divorce, including her work on George McGovern's campaign.
Locations of residence or activity:
San Antonio
Interview Date:
8/23/1997