Mario G. Obledo

Who was Mario G. Obledo?

Mario Guerra Obledo was an American civil rights leader. He was called the "Godfather of the Latino Movement" in the United States, credited with establishing numerous civic institutions and bringing Latino interests into the center of the U.S. political arena. He also served as California's Secretary of Health and Welfare from 1975 to 1982.

Obledo was born in San Antonio, Texas. His parents were Mexican immigrants and he was one of 12 children. He earned a pharmacy degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1957 and a law degree from St. Mary's University in San Antonio in 1960. For three years he was a Texas assistant attorney general.

In 1967, Obledo was a co-founder of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and was the organization's first general counsel. In 1970, facing pressure from the Ford Foundation, MALDEF's most important funding source, due to the organization's perceived "militant" positions, MALDEF moved its headquarters from San Antonio to San Francisco, California, and Obledo replaced Pete Tijerina as executive director.