House Passes Bill to Honor Hector Godinez
A bill to name a post office in Santa Ana after longtime Orange County postmaster Hector Godinez passed unanimously Wednesday in the House of Representatives.
The bill was written by Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) and co-sponsored by the entire California delegation. Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) was its lead Republican co-sponsor.
Born on the grounds of Mission San Diego in 1924, Godinez became the first Latino postmaster in the U.S. in the 1960s, serving in Santa Ana. He later was named Southern California district manager for the U.S. Postal Service. When he died in 1999, he had spent 46 years with the post office.
Godinez was a founding member of the Santa Ana League of United American Citizens, was a trustee for Rancho Santiago Community College District for 17 years and was the first Latino president of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce.
The bill moves to the Senate for approval, then to President Bush.
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