[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14025-14026]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING DAN SOSA, JR.

 Mr. UDALL. Madam President, I wish to commemorate the life of 
Justice Dan Sosa, Jr. On September 4, New Mexico lost an accomplished 
jurist, combat veteran, and champion of the Hispanic community. It is 
with great sympathy and respect that I honor this beloved Las Crucen.
  Justice Sosa dedicated his long life to serving others. And thanks to 
news coverage of his life, I am able to share some details about his 
background and history. Shortly after enrolling at New Mexico A&M, he 
enlisted in the Air Force. When he returned home from World War II with 
35 successful combat

[[Page 14026]]

missions under his belt, Justice Sosa finished his undergraduate degree 
and spent a year teaching at Mesilla Elementary before enrolling in the 
University of New Mexico Law School. It was there that he met and 
married the love of his life, Rita.
  After graduating from law school, he returned to Las Cruces to start 
his own practice. He served as an assistant district attorney and city 
judge before being elected district attorney of Dona Ana, Otero, and 
Lincoln Counties in 1956, becoming the first Hispanic to ever serve in 
that position.
  Justice Sosa's efforts to break down barriers for fellow Hispanics 
went far beyond his personal trailblazing. After completing two terms 
as district attorney, in 1965, he helped found the Mexican American 
Legal Defense and Education Fund, or MALDEF, an organization aimed at 
protecting the legal rights of Hispanics in America and promoting 
educational opportunities.
  Justice Sosa is best known for his tenure on the New Mexico State 
Supreme Court. He was appointed to the court in 1975 and left as its 
chief justice in 1991. He remains one of the longest serving justices 
in the State court's history.
  Throughout his storied career, Justice Sosa never forgot about the 
Las Cruces community he called home. In fact, he passed away in the 
very same adobe house he was born in on November 12, 1923. His 
commitment to the principles he learned from his family and community 
guided his great life and helped him build a towering example for 
generations of New Mexicans.
  Justice Sosa leaves behind his wife, Rita, his sister Lucia, 7 
children, 26 grandchildren, and 31 great-grandchildren, and I extend my 
deepest condolences to his family and friends. He served his community, 
his State, and his country with honor. New Mexico will miss Justice Dan 
Sosa, Jr., a humble and dedicated public servant.

                          ____________________