Roy R. Barrera Sr. | Photo courtesy of the Roy R. Barrera Sr.’s LinkedIn

ROY R. BARRERA SR. was born on January 30th, 1927 in San Antonio, Texas. He received Eagle Scout status in 1938 as part of Boy Scout Troop 52. Barrera also served in the U.S. Army 6th Infantry in the Philippines during World War II. After returning from the war he married his high school sweetheart Maria del Carmen Zendejas in September 1948.

Barrera received his Juris Doctor from St. Mary’s University Law School in 1951 and was part of the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity.

After graduating he would serve as the Bexar County DA’s chief prosecutor beginning in 1951. In 1953 he would then serve as Edgewood ISD’s board president.

Then in 1957, he would go on to jointly found the Nicholas & Barrera law firm with Anthony Nicholas. He also served as an Assistant Government Appeals Agent by appointment under the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.

Later in 1968, he served as Texas Secretary of State by the appointment of Governor John. B. Connally.

During his time at the Nicholas & Barrera law firm he worked in Criminal Law, Family Law, Estate Planning, Real Estate Law, Personal Injury – Defense, Personal Injury – Plaintiff, and Products Liability Law.

As of 2015, he was still a part of the State Bar of Texas, the American Bar Association, the National Association of Defense Lawyers, Criminal Cases, and the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

By: Santos Mencio, St. Mary’s University Law Fellows in Public History (2022)

References:

  • Carmen Z. Barrera’s obituary (2015) San Antonio Express-News, Legacy.com (2015), https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sanantonio/name/carmen-barrera-obituary?id=7748443. (last visited Sep 12, 2022).
  • Roy R. Barrera Sr. – San Antonio, TX, Lawyer Directory (2018), https://lawyers.findlaw.com/profile/view/2478843_1 (last visited Sep 12, 2022).
  • Raul Ramiro “Roy” Barrera Sr. (1927-unknown) -Find a Grave, Find a Grave (2015), https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/146258899/roy-r-barrera. (last visited Sep 12, 2022).
  • Richard Webner, Roy Barrera Sr. selling North Side Ranch for residential development mySA (2016), https://www.mysanantonio.com/real-estate/article/Roy-Barrera-Sr-selling-North-Side-ranch-for-7259891.php. (last visited Nov 18, 2022).