[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 123 (Friday, August 1, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1299]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING PHILLIP V. SANCHEZ

                                  _____
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 31, 2014

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Phillip V. Sanchez 
as he celebrates his 85th birthday. His many years of dedication to 
civil service deserve both acknowledgement and appreciation. Sanchez 
was a pioneer for the Mexican American community; he was the first 
Latino to serve in a Presidential administration as the Director of the 
U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity, an impressive feat.
  Sanchez was born on July 28, 1929. He is the son of Mexican migrant 
workers, who settled in the small town of Pinedale in California's San 
Joaquin River Valley. A student at the nearby Clovis High School, he 
founded and edited the school newspaper. Graduating salutatorian in 
1946, his accomplishments garnered the superlative ``Most Likely to 
Succeed,'' an obvious indicator of his future successes. Sanchez went 
on to earn both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in political 
science at Fresno State, where he chartered the school's chapter of the 
Sigma Chi Fraternity and wrote for the school's paper, The Daily 
Collegian. After graduating from Fresno State, he took the position of 
Fresno County Chief Administrative Officer, his first government 
position.
  It was in 1971 that Sanchez was appointed as director of the U.S. 
Office of Economic Opportunity under the Nixon administration, making 
him the first Latino to serve in a Presidential administration and 
thereby cementing himself in history. He served admirably in this 
position until 1973, when President Nixon appointed him as the U.S. 
Ambassador to Honduras. Sanchez also served as Ambassador to Colombia 
under President Ford's administration.
  Phillip V. Sanchez serves as a prime example of an exemplary citizen. 
Although not currently active in politics, he continues to contribute 
to his community, recently reading to children at the Mexican Consulate 
in honor of Children's Day. His accomplishments have inspired numerous 
individuals, and his name now graces the halls of the Ambassador 
Phillip V. Sanchez Public Charter School.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I ask my colleagues in the 
U.S. House of Representatives to recognize Phillip V. Sanchez on his 
85th birthday. He serves as shining example of outstanding public 
service, and I thank him for both his dedication to the Mexican 
American community and to this nation.

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