Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas, Volume 5, Number 1, Spring, 1993 Page: 41
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At the end of his residency, Dr. Hernandez
applied for staff positions at the three major Dallas
hospitals, Methodist, Baylor, and St. Paul's. Methodist
rejected him, and Baylor never answered his
letter. But St. Paul's accepted him. He was the first
Mexican-American physician on the hospital's staff.
He also opened a private practice, which grew
quickly. He recalls that at the time he hung up his
shingle, only Jewish doctors would see Mexican
patients. When they learned he was available, they
began referring these patients to him. He soon called
the referring doctors back, asking if they had any
other minority patients they would like to refer.
They sent him African-American and Native
American patients, and Dr. Hernandez was soon
making a profit. 2
Although surgeons had less technology
available to them when he began practice, Hernandez
feels they were better trained in anatomy and were
forced to be extremely meticulous in their work. He
is skeptical of technology such as laparoscopy, in
which a scope is inserted into a patient's body cavity
and the surgeon watches a screen while he is operating.
Hernandez considers this dangerous, since
the doctor does not actually see first-hand what he is
doing.13
His political career began in 1960, when he
served as campaign chairman for Trini Garza, a
candidate for the Dallas school board. A group of
Mexican-American activists, including Frank
Hernandez and Adelfa Callejo, approached him and
told him he should be more active within the MexicanAmerican
community. Garza lost the election, but
it was an important learning experience for Dr.
Hernandez. He realized that the Mexican-American
community needed more information to become
more effective politically. He was one of the founders
of the Commission on Mexican-American Affairs
and serves as its chairman today.
He broke new ground for Mexican Americans
in Dallas when he was invited to join the
Citizens Charter Association. Organized in 1930,
the CCA selected candidates to run for city offices
on their slate, which almost always won. Politically
conservative, it controlled Dallas politics for over
forty years. Trying to broaden its base, the CCA ran
a Mexican American, Anita Martinez, and an African
American, George Allen, on its slate in 1969.
However, the CCA continued to attract criticism
from those who believed that it was not representativeenough of the city. Dr. Hernandez was featured in
a newspaper article in 1973 which quoted him as
maintaining that the CCA "was representative of all
people." He stated further that the new CCA provided
a credible environment where the problems,
ideas, and aspirations of Mexican Americans could
be aired at a meaningful level. He added that the
CCA was one instrument that could bring Mexican
Americans into the mainstream of the entire community.'4
Today, however, he states, "It soon became
apparent that I was the token Mexican American
in the Anglo political system. They had no
intention of sharing power. I concluded that political
power had to be taken-whatever the price.""5 Because
of his constant presence in the highest levels
of local government for the past two decades, Dr.
Hernandez has earned the nickname, "Godfather of
Hispanic politics" in Dallas.16
One of Dr. Hernandez' s principal activities is
membership on the admissions committee for
Southwestern Medical School, where he actively
seeks enrollment of more Mexican-American students.
He is also an assistant professor of surgery at
the medical school and a member of the teaching
staff at St. Paul's Hospital. He is a member of
several local and state surgical societies, as well as
a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and
a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery.
Dr. Hernandez's community activities are
wide-ranging. He currently serves as chairman of
the Greater Dallas Community Relations Committee,
and is a member of the Advisory Boards of the
Dallas Epilepsy Association, Hope Cottage, the
YWCA, Dallas Skyline High School, and the Dallas
Independent School District. He has served on numerous
other boards over the years.
Dr. Hernandez's contributions to Dallas, both
through medicine and community activities, continue.
He is still opening doors for others.
'Interview by Jane Guzman, April 25, 1993
2MercedesOlivera, "Oneslmo Hernandez," The Dallas Morning New , April 17,1988
GGuzman interview
4Ibid
SOlivera, "Hernandez."
6Ibld
7Guzman interview.
Olivera, "Hernandez"
9Interview by Jane Guzman, May 22, 1993
Ibld
"Ollvera, "Hernandez"
'2Guzman interview, April 17, 1993
3Guzman interview, May 22, 1993
'4"The New CCA," Dallas Times Herald, February 21, 1973
'Guzman interview, April 17, 1993
6Olivera, "Hernandez "41
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Dallas County Heritage Society. Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas, Volume 5, Number 1, Spring, 1993, periodical, 1993; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth35114/m1/43/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Historical Society.