82R13035 JBA-D

By: Gallego H.R. No. 893

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, In the 1950s, the golf team of San Felipe High School in Del Rio battled adversity and defied expectations to become the best in Texas, and Higinio "Gene" Vasquez was an important member of that storied squad; and

WHEREAS, The team got its start after J. B. Pena became the superintendent of the San Felipe Independent School District in the mid-1950s, and he and a friend introduced golf as a school sport at San Felipe High; they were surprised and pleased to discover that there were some very talented golfers among the students in the then-segregated school, including Mr. Vasquez and the other players that joined the Mustangs golf team; and

WHEREAS, These students had learned much about the game while working as caddies at the exclusive San Felipe Country Club, a course that they were initially prohibited from playing; determined to take part in the sport, several of these aspiring athletes decided in 1954 to build their own course, which they dubbed the El Llanito Country Club; it was, by necessity, a rather crude design: one hole surrounded by multiple tees with a "green" that was actually made of caliche instead of grass; nonetheless, the boys used the hardscrabble course to hone their skills through long hours of practice, often playing until after dark; and

WHEREAS, After the harsh conditions of El Llanito, the team members found that competing on regulation courses as part of school matches was relatively easy, and they quickly established themselves as winners, even as they had to ignore verbal abuse and other forms of discrimination; the San Felipe Mustangs were regional champs in 1956 and finished second to Ranger High in the state championships; in 1957, the team qualified once more for the finals and traveled to the Austin Country Club to battle for the title, where they were the only minority players in the tournament; there, Mr. Vasquez and his teammates turned in an outstanding performance, shooting a combined 643; this bested runner-up Shamrock High by 35 strokes and earned San Felipe the state title; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Vasquez hailed from a background that was quite different from that experienced by most state champion golfers of his era; born in Del Rio in 1940, he, his parents, and his three sisters were migrant farm workers for many years during the 1950s, and he fought his way onto the Mustangs roster in 1957 despite being a left-handed player who had to learn to golf with right-handed clubs; after graduation, he went on to earn a bachelor's degree in education from Sul Ross State College and taught in the San Felipe Independent School District for more than 10 years; he then entered the real estate business and continues to work in that field today; he lives in Del Rio and still enjoys golf, crediting the sport for having had a very positive impact on his life; and

WHEREAS, Through talent, determination, and ingenuity, Gene Vasquez and the other members of the Mustangs golf team overcame difficult circumstances to become state champions, and their achievement is a continuing source of pride for the residents of Del Rio and an inspiration for all who have heard their story; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby honor Gene Vasquez for his contributions to the title-winning San Felipe High School golf team of 1957 and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Vasquez as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.