Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-11-19
Senator Dennis Chavez
Of New Mexico Dies

Senator Dennis Chavez of
New Mexico, IA, the de-
scendant of an old Spanish
American family and a veteran
of the Washington political
scene, died yesterday of a heart
attack at Georgetown Univer-
sity Hospital.
He had been i'll for the past
year and a half with cancer of
the throat.
Senator Chavez, a Democrat,
began his national political
career in 1880 when he was
sent to the House of Repre-
sentatives by the greatest num-
Der of votes a Representative
ever received in New Mexico.
He served for two terms before
bidding for the Senate in 1884.
Then he engaged in a heated
election campaign with the Re-
publican candidate, Senator
Bronson F. Cutting. Mr.. Cutting
led by 1900 votes when the
ballots were counted.
Appointed to Vacancy
Senator Chavez contested the
election and his case was still
pending before the Senate the
following year when Senator
Cutting was killed in an airline
crash. New Mexico's Demo-
cratic Governor Clyde Tingley
appointed Mr.. Chavez to the
Senate vacancy-a seat he had
held ever since.
Mr.. Chavez served on the
Senate Appropriations Com
mittee as third ranking mem
Der and was chairman of its
subcommittee on defense. He
was also on the Public Works
Committee and was chairman
OF the Senate Office Building
Commission.
The only Senator of Spanish
descent, he was a champion of
fair employment practices; was
active in the affairs of Puerto
Rico-which he wanted adj
mitted to the Union-and,
with other Western Congress-
men, sponsored legislation for
the development of Western
resources.
Senator Chavez life had a
rags-to-riches flav@. He was
born in April, 1888, one of
eight children in the impover-
ished household of David and
Pas Chavez in little Los Cha
vez, rs miles south of Albu-
querque. His ancestors were
Spanish and settled in New
Mexico over 300 years ago on
a land grant from the King of
Spain.
Began Work at IA
The Chavez family moved to
Albuquerque when young Den
mis- was four years old. He at
tended public schools there and
got his first job as a grocer's
clerk at the age of IA. Subse-
quently, he worked for nine
years in the city's engineering
department.
In 1911, he married Miss
Imelda Espinosa, a school
teacher and member of another
old New Mexico family. They
celebrated their golden wedd-
ing anniversary last year.
In 1917, Senator Chavez got |,
his chance to study for a law
career. He came to Washing
ton with Democratic Senator
A. A. Jones, for whom he had
in the 1916 campaign. While i
clerking for the Senate in +
1879, he studied law at
Georgetown University and re-
ceived his LIB degree in 1920.
Then 80 years old, he re-
turned to Albuquerque and
followed the classic pattern of
American political figures.
He set up law practice and
campaigned and was elected to
the New Mexico House of Rep
resentatives before moving onto
the national political scene.
Senator Chavez's physician
and close friend, DR.. w. r.
Lovelace, sr., said in Albuquer-
que yesterday that the cancer
in the Senator's throat was so
far advanced and in such a
position that it was not re-
moved during an operation in
May, 1861.
President Kennedy termed |
Senator Chavez death "a great
loss to the country"
The President issued the fol-
lowing statement:
Senator Dennis Chavez was
an outstanding American who
devoted a lifetime in the serv-
ice of his country.
During my years of associa-
ton with him as a Senator and
as President I came to admire
him as a leading advocate of
human rights and for his in
tense interest in the defense
capability of our Nation.
His passing is a great loss
to the country"
He leaves his wife and son.
Dennis, jr., of the home address,