PERSON: Bernard 'Bernie' Valdez --
" An icon in the Denver community, Bernie Valdez opened the doors and received numerous accolades for his work on behalf of the Latino community. Denver Mayor Thomas G. Currigan recognized Valdez' outstanding qualities and in 1963 made him the first Hispanic to serve on a DenverBernie Valdez Mayor's Cabinet. Valdez was appointed Manager of Denver's welfare Department, later called the Social Services Department; a position he held for 16 years, from 1963-1979.
Valdez was also the first Hispanic to serve as a member of the Denver Board of Education and was eventually named President of the Board, from 1975-1977. Honors that were bestowed on Bernie include an Honorary Doctorate degree in Public Service from Metropolitan State College of Denver, the Martin Luther King Human Relations Award and the naming of LARASA's Bernie Valdez Awards Luncheon (now Reception) in his honor. Also named to honor his work in the Latino community are two significant Denver Buildings: the Bernie Valdez Heritage Center and the Valdez-Perry Branch Library in north Denver.
He was a founder and the first chairman of LARASA's Board of Directors, and a founder of the Latin American Educational Foundation (LAEF) and National council of La Raza (NCLR)." (from (
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"Bernard Valdez (1922-1997), one of Denver’s most revered Hispanic leaders, exemplifies the spirit of service that was nurtured in the CCC. To his fellow alumni and many others, he was known simply as “Bernie.” He was a founder of Denver’s Chapter 7 Alumni group, and served as its first president. The son of migrant farmers in New Mexico, he credits the CCC with beginning his education. He served in 1938 with Company 1819 at Camp F-64-C in Woodland Park. Of his CCC experience, Bernie reported in 1989:
' My mother was delighted when I joined the CCC because for the first time she would have a steady income of $25 a month. That money supported my mother and four brothers and sisters.
The CCC gave me an opportunity to live with other boys. One of the differences between the CCC and some of the other programs was that all the kids in the CCC were not culturally deprived. Most of the kids who go to the new programs have been culturally deprived and they have no way of expanding their horizons.
In the CCC, we had lots of kids who had graduated from high school, we had several who were in the process of getting a college education, and we had adult leaders who had had lots of experience. We had an educational adviser who in my opinion had a tremendous amount of imagination because he didn’t have any resources—no library; no money or assistants. So he created relationships between the boys, and teachers among the boys. There was somebody who could teach math and somebody who could teach English and somebody else who could teach something else… There was tremendous enrichment from each other that I think really changed the course of my life.'
After graduating from Colorado A & M (now Colorado State University), Valdez fought against discriminatory labor and business practices while working for the U.S. Department of Labor’s World War II Bracero Program. Later, he managed Denver’s welfare programs and served as a member of the Denver School Board. In 1964, during President Johnson’s War on Poverty, Valdez and Denver Mayor Tom Currigan suggested reopening the Mt. Morrison CCC Camp as a Job Corps facility, but residents objected. The Job Corps was a $412.5 million program expected to enroll 100,000 youths in 1964-65. Job Corps continues to assist youth today.
Bernie Valdez gave a lifetime of commitment to the Hispanic community in Colorado and nationwide through his efforts in developing community affairs, and increasing housing, recreational, and education opportunities. In 2001, he was awarded the first Bernie Valdez Community Recognition Award, a continuing award established in his honor. That same year, historic restoration of the West Side Court Building at Speer Blvd. and Colfax Ave. in Denver was completed, and the building was re-dedicated as the Bernard Valdez Hispanic Heritage Center. " (from (
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BUILDING: Bernard Valdez Hispanic Heritage Center --
"Built on the southwest corner of Colfax Avenue and Speer Boulevard in 1922, the landmark structure reflects decades of judicial history. Denver's most brilliant lawyers, including Ralph Carr (who later became governor), tried criminal cases inside its red brick walls before the courts were relocated in 1952. Later, the building housed the fire department and the District Attorney's offices. The City abandoned the building in 1984. Jeopardized by vandals and deferred maintenance, it remained vacant for the next several years.
In the early 1990s, the jury was still out on the West Side Court Building's future. After the District Attorney's departure, the building fell into disrepair. Its failing roof caused extensive water damage and its grand arched windows were deteriorating. In 1994, National Image, Inc., a Hispanic advocacy group, developed a proposal to salvage the building and adaptively re-use it as a Hispanic heritage center. After years of stalled efforts, National Image bought the building from the City in 1998 for $410,001. Coors Brewing Company of Golden contributed $400,000 of the purchase price.
After acquiring the property, National Image took its case to the State Historical Fund. Although the group had raised a sizable development cache through private and corporate donations, it needed additional assistance to preserve the building's significant exterior and interior elements. The Fund awarded National Image $250,000 to restore windows, masonry, terra cotta embellishments, light fixtures, and an interior staircase.
Last month the West Side Court Building re-opened as the Bernard Valdez Hispanic Heritage Center." (from (
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