Lupe Zamarripa
Biographical Sketch of 
Lupe Zamarripa

In 1968, Austin native Lupe Zamarripa, leader of the Mexican American Student Organization (MASO),submitted a proposal to the President of UT Austin for an elective course in Mexican American Studies. The proposal also noted the need to recruit more Mexican American students and provide them scholarships. Zamarripa met with the Texas Governor and Latino state legislators and shared the proposal with the press. As a result, the university began offering courses in Mexican American Studies, then the establishment of the Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS), and eventually the College of Liberal Arts/Latino Studies. As for Zamarripa, he next attended Georgetown University Law School, where he became vice president of the Student Bar Association. He served on the National Action Committee on Drug Education, served as Assistant District Attorney in San Antonio, and served as Special Counsel to Governor Mark White. He still lives in Austin.