Mary F. Lopez Papers

Collection

Identifier: 2014-006

Staff Only

The collection is approximately .5 linear feet and consists primarily of documents, correspondence, organization records, photographs and clippings. A significant part of the collection is comprised of photocopies.

Organized into two series, Series I, Jose R. Lopez Papers, and Series II, Mary F. Lopez Papers, the collection includes materials related to Ms. Mary F. Lopez life as a homemaker, wife, activist, and her career.

Documents related to Mr. Jose R. Lopez’s time in WWII are of note, as are photographs of Cesar Chavez in series II. Ms. Lopez met Chavez in the 1960s during one of his visits in support of Mexican-American labor in the region.

Dates

1942-2014
Majority of material found within 2000-2008

Creator

Lopez, Mary F. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Special Collections owns the physical items in our collections, but copyright normally belongs to the creator of the materials or their heirs. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, obtaining permission to publish from copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form. For more information, consult the appropriate librarian. Reproduction decisions will be made by Special Collections staff on a case-by-case basis.

Extent

2.0 linear feet

Additional Description

Biographical Information

Mary Fernandez Lopez was born Mary Fernandez on September 26, 1921 in Brownsville, Texas, but would spend most of her life in Houston. It was in Houston where she would marry, have four children, and participate in social justice issues related to Hispanic Americans.

Mary wed Jose Rivera Lopez on May 17, 1942 at Camp Blanding near the city of Starke, Florida shortly after he joined the Army. The couple lived briefly in Massachusetts before returning to Houston and starting a family in 1943. Primarily a homemaker until her children were raised, Ms. Lopez was consistently involved in advocating for the Mexican-American community in the Magnolia Park.

After working mainly secretarial positions Bovay Enginnering and later University of Texas Medical Branch, Mary graduated with her business degree from the University of Houston. For a time, she also helped manage her family’s business, the Lopez Bakery in Magnolia Park before selling it in the 1960s.

Lopez was involved with the Viva-Kennedy Campaign, the Political Association for Spanish Speaking Organizations (PASO), and other efforts related to improving conditions for Houston’s Latino community. Mary F. Lopez died in July 2015.