Attorney General Alberto Gonzales

In remarks he made recently on behalf of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, Justice Alberto Gonzales mentioned that his father had worked "harder than any person" he had ever known.

Justice Gonzales' path to the White House and the Justice Department began with attending the U.S. Air Force Academy and earning his diploma from Rice University in 1979, followed by his graduation from Harvard Law School in 1982. Upon graduation from law school, Alberto Gonzales joined the firm of Vinson & Elkins LLP in Houston, where he had clerked while a law student. He practiced general corporate business law there for 13 years and also taught law at the University of Houston Law Center, before then Governor George Bush asked him to serve as his general counsel, in 1994. He recalls his work in that office as "the most fun" he ever had as a lawyer, and continued in that office until he was appointed by Governor Bush to serve as Secretary of State in 1997. In that capacity he served as the State's chief elections officer and the Governor's lead liaison on border issues with Mexico. In 1998, he was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court. After successfully campaigning and winning election to the court, newly elected President Bush invited Justice Gonzales to the White House to serve as his Counsel in the new administration. Alberto R. Gonzales was sworn in as the nation's 80th, and the nation's first Hispanic, Attorney General on February 3, 2005.

Active in many professional and civic organizations, Justice Gonzales is an elected member of the American Law Institute and has held offices in the Texas Bar Foundation, the State Bar of Texas, and served as President of the Houston Bar Association. He also served as Chair of the Commission for District Decentralization of the Houston Independent School District and was appointed to the Advisory Committee of the Texas Real Estate Center.

His many honors include an honorary degree from the Catholic University of America and he received the Harvard Law School Association Award, the highest award given by the alumni association to a Harvard Law School graduate. He was recognized as Latino Lawyer of the Year in 1999, by the Hispanic National Bar Association and received a Presidential Citation from the State Bar of Texas for his dedication to addressing basic legal needs of the indigent.

Justice Gonzales attributes his success to the sacrifices his parents made in order to help give their eight children a chance to succeed. He and his wife Rebecca have three sons. Gonzales celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month as a reminder of the sacrifices and achievements made, as well as a celebration of a commitment to family, country, and the beautiful Hispanic culture.

(Originally published in 2002. This article has been revised to include events occurring after 2002.)