PIONEER PROFILE: Dr. Ted Martinez, Jr.; Richard J. Daley College

• Published in: The Hispanic outlook in higher education 1995-12, Vol.6 (8), p.14
• Main Author: Chabolla, Elena
• Format: Magazinearticle
• Language: English
• Subjects: Community colleges; Education; Martinez, Ted, Jr; Minority & ethnic groups

Today, Dr. [Ted Martinez, Jr.], 47, is president of such an institution -- the Richard J. Daley College in Chicago, Ill., which specializes in manufacturing technology. Displaying a combination of humility and pride, Martinez speaks of his personal and professional accomplishments. The eldest son of migrant workers from Asherton, Texas, Martinez, who has an older sister, naturally took on a great many responsibilities as a young boy. "I became an interpreter for my parents at a very young age," he recalls, noting that his mother and father spoke very little English. "When you're put in a situation like that, you begin to make some decisions. I was the lead spokesperson for the family." Other teachers influenced him in high school. During his first year, Martinez was drawn to a typing teacher who was well dressed and had "wonderful handwriting." At that point, the young teen thought to himself, "I'd like to be a like him -- to go to college and teach business the way he does." The seed was beginning to blossom, but it took another teacher to help him complete his growth. This third teacher took an interest in Martinez and urged him to consider attending Sul Ross State University in Texas. "Here's a catalog and an application," the shorthand teacher said. At the time, the young Martinez didn't even know about universities like Yale and Harvard. "There was no awareness," he says. When he was asked to recommend people for the president's post at Daley, de los Santos said, "You have [a qualified person] right there." Adds de los Santos about Martinez, "He knows his work; he's a great leader and a wonderful administrator; he's very humane -- a caring person."