Receiving a birthday cake in the form of a book was a delightful surprise that touched my heart deeply. My loving niece Verónica brought me a cake that was not only delicious but also incredibly meaningful. Knowing that I was also celebrating the 25th anniversary of the publication of my book, the cake’s spine proudly displayed the title of my award-winning political biography, Border Boss, while the front was adorned with the heartfelt message, “Happy Birthday Gilbert.” This thoughtful gesture was a testament to her understanding of my love and passion for reading and creative writing.
Twenty-five years ago, April 1999, Texas A&M University Press published Border Boss: Manuel B. Bravo and Zapata County and it received the prestigious Texas Institute of Letters Award, the Webb County Heritage Foundation Award, and the American Association for State and Local History Award. The paperback edition was published in 2001.
Verónica’s creativity and support in bringing this idea to life made my birthday truly special. The cake was a masterpiece, capturing the essence of my journey as an author and the joy I find in sharing stories. Her ingenuity in designing such a unique cake left me in awe and filled me with gratitude. It was more than just a cake; it was a symbol of her love and appreciation for me, and it made the celebration unforgettable.
This memorable gift will stay with me forever, a sweet reminder of the love and thoughtfulness that went into making my birthday and the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the publication of my book special and extraordinary. Every time I think of that cake, I am reminded of the special bond I share with Verónica, and the joy of being surrounded by family who truly understand and celebrate my passions. It was a birthday to remember, filled with love, creativity, and the sweetest of memories. The painting behind me is one of Jo Emma’s masterpieces.
Border Boss has stood the test of time and will always remain my magnum opus. It was dogmatic discipline during the research and writing phases of the project which made true originality possible. The intellectual, emotional, and sometimes physical journey, in having to drive to the different archival depositories in Texas to augment my research on the Judge Bravo papers, has been gratifying and rewarding.
For almost nine years, the task of working on the Judge Bravo story has really been a labor of love, especially since being a full-time associate superintendent and a part-time scholar is not an easy task. I needed to find the time after work, on weekends, on holidays, and during my two-week summer vacation to accomplish all the work that was necessary to write an award-winning book. But, at the end of the journey, it was definitely worthwhile. I told Jo Emma that all the hard work, persistence, and personal sacrifices that we made during the nine-year period had definitely paid off. She stood by me all this time with her unwavering support and patience. We never lost faith in Divine Providence.
Judge Bravo kept this photograph of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his office and after the judge passed away, my wife now has them in her possession. The photograph has FDR’s signature and the dog in the photograph was his beloved pet and constant companion. His name was Fala, a black Scottish Terrier. This portrait was painted by Edgar Franklin Wittmack and it appeared on the cover of Liberty Magazine on Saturday, August 22, 1942.
We also found an interesting souvenir when Judge Bravo and his wife visited the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, well known as FDR’s second home from 1933 to 1945 when he was our president.
Judge Bravo’s association with then Representative Lyndon Baines Johnson began during the special Senate election of June 28, 1941. The beginnings of a long friendly association between Johnson and Bravo became apparent and a close friendship that continued even after Bravo had retired from public office in 1957. For the vacant Senate seat, created by the death of Senator Morris Sheppard, three energetic contenders competed in the election–Governor W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel, Gerald Mann, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Although statewide election results declared “Pappy” O’Daniel the winner by 1,311 votes. In Zapata County, Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson garnered 273 votes to 21 votes cast for the governor. Lyndon B. Johnson waited seven years to make another bid for a seat in the United States Senate and in 1948, Judge Bravo continued his strong support for Johnson where he had left off during the 1941 Senate race. This time Johnson won the runoff election against Coke Stevenson and the general election against the Republican nominee Jack Porter.
On October 20, 1950, Senator Johnson sent the following letter to Judge Bravo, whom he addressed as “My dear Judge.”
“Often I think back to those summer days of 1948 when you helped so effectively
to give Texas a new Senator. I am thinking of them now, as I write this letter. It
gives me a feeling of intense pride to realize that you spared no time and no effort.
I hope that since then my work here has justified your confidence…As one of my key
friends in Zapata County, you are in a better position than anyone I know to do this
job of evaluating our gains and making recommendations to me on ways and means to
to advance them even further through service in your area…If you will take the time
to think this over and then write and give me your estimate of the situation in your county….”
Throughout Johnson’s political career, Judge Bravo acted as his personal friend and confidant. And Judge Bravo always signed his letters to LBJ, “Su amigo, M.B. Bravo.”
On the back of this photograph, dated August 25, 1955, Senator Johnson wrote to Judge Bravo: “We were thinking about how happy and grateful we are to be back in Texas among our friends and wanted to let you hear from us. Our pleasant association throughout the years has meant so much to us.”
Even after Lyndon B. Johnson became Vice President, and later as the 36th president of the United States, he and Judge Bravo continued their epistolary relationship. On two occasions, on August 8, 1962, and September 30, 1968, Judge Bravo paid a visit to the White House.
While I was finishing my manuscript, a blessing from Heaven came down upon me when Professor Arnoldo De León from Angelo State University took it under his wings to provide invaluable assistance. An eternal debt that I will never forget. When my manuscript on Judge Bravo was being considered for publication, Professor Jerry Thompson from Texas A&M International University in Laredo, sent an encouraging and supportive letter on my behalf. He highly recommended the publication of my manuscript and that it be the first in the Canseco-Keck History Series. I must add that Mary Lenn Dixon, Managing Editor, and her staff at Texas A&M University Press did an outstanding job.
As soon as the book came out, I received congratulatory letters from the following people:
Dr. Francisco G. Cigarroa–“This is very much appreciated and means a lot to me. Furthermore, it is incredible that there are many individuals cited in your book that I have a personal relationship with. I’m looking forward to reading this book in the very near future.”
Henry G. Cisneros–“It is an important contribution to our understanding of the political development of South Texas. I commend you on the research that went into producing a fine historical analysis which will provide great understanding and appreciation of the Latino role in the region….Your contribution to the literature on South Texas merits wide attention.”
San Antonio Express-News Editorial–“…Quezada has done an excellentr commendable work in studying Bravo and the patrón system. His book is well-researched and provides insightful, scholarly analysis. But it is also a thoroughly engaging and interesting account of political life in South Texas. Bravo!”
First Lady Laura Bush–“…I am delighted to add to my personal library. Congratulations on its success….I am always pleased to hear from fellow Texans, especially those sharing my interest in education and reading,…”
Dr. Arnoldo De León–“This book is needed in order to revise our understanding of political bossism, especially when it involves Mexican American leaders….There are no other comparable books on Mexican American political bosses.”
Dr. Richard Griswold del Castillo–“Quezada’s scholarship is excellent…a tremendous job of primary research into the life of an important Tejano…”
Dr. Gilbert R. Cruz–“The life of Judge Bravo glows in terms of generous public service…a measure of integrity that may well serve aspiring political servants of all ages and cultural backgrounds.”
I had several book-signings and all the positive reviews were published in the following sources: CHOICE, San Antonio Express & News, Texas Books in Review, The Journal of American History, New Mexico Historical Review, Laredo Morning Times, Journal of the West, Western Historical Quarterly, Amarillo Globe-News, Dallas Morning News, Journal of Southern History, La Vista de la Frontera–Newsletter of the Center for Big Bend Studies, Texas Oral History Association Newsletter, Austin American-Statesman, Zapata County News, Mexia Daily News, LareDOS, Southside Reporter, La Prensa, and LULAC News. And, I am very happy to say that it has been well received by both the scholarly community and the general public with equal enthusiasm.
What makes Border Boss so appealing is that it is more than just about a Tejano political boss named Manuel B. Bravo, or about South Texas politics. The tome is much more than a political biography. It is an intriguing story that has national appeal because of the human drama involved in the issues of the times. Interwoven within the fabric of South Texas politics are high profile political figures, such as Lyndon B. Johnson, George Bush, Lloyd Bentsen Jr., and many others. Everyone likes a good book that contains human drama, personalities, and the juicy political stuff that makes for an interesting read.
In somber retrospect, I am extremely proud to have written Border Boss and to have juxtaposed it against the backdrop of Texas and national politics. Political Scientist Dr. Nancy Beck Young, in her essay published in a book titled, Beyond Texas Through Time: Breaking Away from Past Interpretations(Texas A&M University Press, 2011), discusses and praises Border Boss for its nuanced interpretation of political bossism for its applicability as, “a model of how to construct a biography of a local political official and make an argument with regional and national thematic importance….This fine book is an excellent model for future historians wishing to explore the post 1945 inroads of minorities and women into the Texas political power structure.” Border Boss was discussed in a 2005 book titled, The Bushes: Portrait of a Dynasty, by Peter and Rochelle Schweizer, and was published by Knopf Doubleday. And three years ago, in Dr. Beatriz de la Garza’s new book, From the Republic of the Rio Grande: A Personal History of the Place and the People, which was published in 2012 by Texas University Press, she cites the leadership of Judge Bravo during the construction of Falcon Dam. Border Boss was also mentioned in Robert A. Caro’s third installment on Lyndon Johnson entitled, The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Master of the Senate (2002), and in Ignacio M. García’s book entitled, Viva Kennedy: Mexican Americans in Search of Camelot (2000).
I am giving a lecture on Border Boss at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Since my book was published, I am happy and proud to say that it has stood the test of time and is still making a significant contribution to the study of Tejano and Mexican American studies, and national and state politics. I am exuberant to know that it is still being cited, and especially by many eminent and illustrious historians. In the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, July 2018 edition, from the Texas State Historical Association, there is an interesting book review by Dr. Julie Leininger Pycior, Professor of history at Manhattan College, on a tome by Anthony R. Carrozza entitled,The Dukes of Duval County: The Parr Family and Texas Politics, published in 2017 by the University of Oklahoma Press. On the fourth paragraph, page 125, she mentions on a positive note Manuel Bravo and my award-winning book, Border Boss: Manuel B. Bravo and Zapata County. It gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction that an eminent and illustrious historian like Dr. Pycior still thinks very highly of my book.
Of all the congratulatory and laudatory letters I received over the past two decades, the one that succinctly expresses the main purpose and the true meaning of why I wrote the book, besides the five academic objectives that I delineated in the Introduction, and which gets to the heart and soul of the Judge Bravo story, is a note from Diana Bravo González, who is Jo Emma’s cousin, when she wholeheartedly expressed to me: “Gilbert, Thank you for writing Border Boss. I am sure there were many hurdles you had to cross and you could have easily given up. But did not. I now have something of the history of my family I can pass on to my children.”
At the age of eighty-three, Zapata County Judge Manuel B. Bravo went to his eternal reward on September 18, 1984, which coincidentally was his wife’s birthday. The Judge’s wife, Josefa Villarreal Bravo, passed away on July 16, 1998, at the age of ninety-nine. Both are buried in the Zapata County Cemetery. During his lifetime, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum was interested in obtaining his personal papers, but he never responded. Then, in 2007, Jo Emma and I consulted with Judge Bravo’s three sons about the request and all of them wanted to honor their mother’s wish that she made a few years before she died. Consequently, the Judge Bravo Personal Papers were donated to the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum. The director sent a very nice thank you letter to the Bravo family, stating in part, “This collection will be an important addition to the Library’s holdings, and I know future researchers will gain valuable insight into Texas history and Judge Bravo’s career as a county judge from 1937 to 1957.”
