Frank Tejeda

{{Infobox officeholder

|name=Frank Mariano Tejeda

|image name=Frank M Tejeda.jpg

|caption=

|state=Texas

|district=28th

|term=January 3, 1993 – January 30, 1997

|preceded=District created following 1990 census

|succeeded=Ciro Rodriguez

|office2=Member of the Texas State Senate from District 19

|term_start2=January 13, 1987

|term_end2=January 3, 1993

|predecessor2=Glenn Kothmann

|successor2=Gregory Luna

|office3=Member of the Texas House of Representatives

|term_start3=January 11, 1977

|term_end3=January 13, 1987

|predecessor3=Tony Dramberger

|successor3=Ciro Rodriguez

|constituency3 = 118th district (1983-87)
District 57-B (1977-83)

|birth_date={{Birth date|1945|10|2|mf=y}}

|birth_place=San Antonio, Texas

|death_date={{death date and age |1997|1|30|1945|10|2}}

|death_place=

|resting_place=Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery

San Antonio, Texas

|spouse=Cecilia Tejeda

|children=3 (2 daughters, 1 son)

|profession=Lawyer; politician

|alma_mater=St. Mary's University

|party=Democratic

|branch=United States Marine Corps

|serviceyears=1963-1967 (active) 1967-1997 (reserve)

|battles=Vietnam War

|rank=Major

}}

Frank Mariano Tejeda (October 2, 1945 – January 30, 1997) was an American Democratic politician from Texas. He served in the Texas House of Representatives (1976–1987), the Texas Senate (1987–1993), and in the United States House of Representatives (1993–1997).

Biography

Frank M. Tejeda was born in San Antonio, Texas. He attended St. Leo's Catholic School and graduated from Harlandale High School.

He served in the United States Marine Corps and was wounded in action during the Vietnam War (1963–1967). He was decorated for valor with the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart.{{cite web|access-date=2007-04-17|url=http://www.vasthcs.med.va.gov/scd/tejeda.htm|title=Frank M. Tejeda|publisher=Frank M. Tejeda VA Outpatient Clinic, United States Department of Veterans Affairs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070309173306/http://www.vasthcs.med.va.gov/scd/tejeda.htm|archive-date=2007-03-09|url-status=dead}} Tejeda reached the rank of major in the Marine Corps Reserve.{{cite web

|access-date = 2007-04-17

|url = http://www.usafns.com/gunnersblog/2005_03_01_archive.htm

|title = Jones Honored by the Marine Corps Reserve Association

|date = March 17, 2005

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071008122144/http://www.usafns.com/gunnersblog/2005_03_01_archive.htm

|archive-date = October 8, 2007

}}

After his Marine Corps service, he earned his bachelor's degree in 1970 from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, and his J.D. in 1974 from University of California, Berkeley Law School.

Tejeda began his political career in the Texas Legislature. He served in the Texas House from 1976 to 1987, and then in the Texas Senate from 1987 to 1993. While serving in the legislature, he earned two master's degrees — in 1980, he received an M.A. from Harvard University, and in 1989, an LL.M. from Yale Law School.

Tejeda was elected with 87% of the votes to the U.S. Congress in 1992, representing the 28th Congressional District of Texas. Notably, serving on the Armed Services Committee and the Veterans' Affairs Committee, his work in the Congress focused on veterans' issues. He was known as a conservative Democrat.

On January 30, 1997, shortly after the beginning of his third term, Congressman Tejeda died from pneumonia after a year-long battle with brain cancer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/congress/tejeda.html|title = Hispanic Americans in Congress -- Tejeda| website=Library of Congress }} He was buried with full military honors at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.

Namesakes

On September 1, 1997, U.S. Highway 281 from Interstate 410 to the Atascosa/Bexar county line was named "Congressman Frank M. Tejeda Memorial Highway" by the Texas Legislature{{cite web |url = http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/memorialhwy.htm |title = Texas Memorial Highway System |publisher = Texas Department of Transportation |access-date = 2007-11-16}} The reference erroneously lists the northern bound of the memorial highway as [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/sl/sl0410.htm Loop 410] which has not existed in Bexar County since 1969, or anywhere else in the state since 1991.
A charter high school with his name, Frank Tejeda Academy, in the Harlandale Independent School District in San Antonio, the same district in which he lived and from which he graduated.
The Frank M. Tejeda Post Office Building in San Antonio, dedicated in 1997.{{cite web |url=http://capitolwords.org/date/1997/02/05/H292-3_frank-m-tejeda-post-office-building/ |title=Frank M. Tejeda Post Office Building | Capitol Words |access-date=2014-01-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140128160813/http://capitolwords.org/date/1997/02/05/H292-3_frank-m-tejeda-post-office-building/ |archive-date=2014-01-28 }}
The VA outpatient clinic in San Antonio was posthumously named in his honor.
Frank Tejeda Estates, a housing development at Lackland Air Force Base.
Frank Tejeda Middle School in the North East Independent School District in San Antonio was posthumously named in his honor.
Division Park in the City of San Antonio was renamed Frank Tejeda Park in 1996.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sanantonio.gov/parksandrec/directory_tejeda.aspx|title = The City of San Antonio - Official City Website > ParksAndRec > Home}}
The Texas State Veterans Home in Floresville, Texas is named in memory of Rep. Tejeda.
After his death, the Marine Corps Reserve Association created the Major Frank M. Tejeda Leadership Award to recognize leaders committed to the Marine Corps.