{{short description|American lawyer (born 1959)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Tony Garza |image = TonyGarza.jpg |office = [[United States Ambassador to Mexico]] |president = [[George W. Bush]] |term_start = November 22, 2002 |term_end = January 20, 2009 |predecessor = [[Jeffrey Davidow]] |successor = [[Carlos Pascual (diplomat)|Carlos Pascual]] |office1 = [[Texas Railroad Commission|Railroad Commissioner of Texas]] |governor1 = George W. Bush<br>[[Rick Perry]] |term_start1 = January 4, 1999 |term_end1 = November 18, 2002<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rrc.texas.gov/about-us/commissioners/commissioner-list/|title=Railroad Commissioners Past through Present|access-date=April 3, 2024|website=www.rrc.texas.gov}}</ref> |predecessor1 = [[Barry Williamson]] |successor1 = Victor Carrillo |office2 = 98th [[Secretary of State of Texas]] |governor2 = George W. Bush |term_start2 = January 17, 1995 |term_end2 = December 31, 1997 |predecessor2 = [[Ron Kirk]] |successor2 = [[Alberto Gonzales]] |birth_name = Antonio Oscar Garza Jr. |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|7|7}} |birth_place = [[Brownsville, Texas]], U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] |spouse = {{marriage|[[María Asunción Aramburuzabala]]|2005|2010|end=divorce}}<br>{{marriage|Liz Beightler|2012}} |education = [[University of Texas at Austin]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[Southern Methodist University]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]]) }} '''Antonio Oscar "Tony" Garza Jr.''' (born July 7, 1959)<ref>[https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6QL-1TQ Antonio Oscar Garza Jr., Texas Birth Index]</ref> is an American lawyer and diplomat who was the [[United States]] [[Ambassador]] to Mexico from 2002 to 2009 under President [[George W. Bush]]. In recognition of his work, Mexico bestowed on him the [[Águila Azteca]], the highest award granted to foreigners, in 2009. Prior to his appointment as ambassador, Garza had served as [[Secretary of State of Texas]] from January 1995 to November 1997 and was also chairman of the [[Texas Railroad Commission]].
==Early life and education== Garza was born in [[Brownsville, Texas]],<ref name=THerald>{{cite news |url=https://myrgv.com/local-news/2019/11/17/rgv-native-inducted-into-ut-hall-of-fame/ |title=RGV native inducted into UT hall of fame |first=Steve |last=Clark |date=November 17, 2019 |accessdate=2021-09-21 |work=[[The Brownsville Herald]]}}</ref> the son of a gasoline station owner and the grandson of Mexican immigrants to the United States.<ref name="Chronicle">"[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/3149038.html Toasting the power of love]", ''Houston Chronicle'', April 22, 2005.</ref><ref name="LAJ07172002" /> Garza received his [[Bachelor of Business Administration]] from the [[University of Texas at Austin]] in 1980 and received his [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] in 1983 from [[Southern Methodist University School of Law]].<ref name=WhiteBio>{{cite web |title=Antonio O. Garza Jr. |url=http://www.whitecase.com/angarza/ |publisher=White & Case LLP |year=2010 |accessdate=2011-04-04}}</ref>
==Career== After practicing as an attorney, Garza became a judge in Cameron County in 1988.<ref name=Brownsville /> He served as the Texas Secretary of State from January 1995 to November 1997 before later being elected as one of the three member board of the Texas Railroad Commission, where he served as chairman.<ref name="LAJ07172002" /><ref name="Chronicle" /><ref name=Tribune>{{cite news |url=http://www.texastribune.org/2013/05/06/triblive-a-conversation-with-tony-garza/ |title=TribLive: A Conversation with Tony Garza |first=Rodney |last=Gibbes |date=May 6, 2013 |accessdate=2013-05-07 |work=[[Texas Tribune]]}}</ref>
In 2002, he was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, a position he held until 2009.<ref name="LAJ07172002">{{cite news |url=http://lubbockonline.com/stories/071702/nat_0717020037.shtml |title=Bush selects Texas ally, Garza, as U.S. ambassador to Mexico |work=[[Lubbock Avalanche-Journal]] | date=July 17, 2002 |accessdate=2013-04-29}}</ref><ref name="Chronicle"/> In 2009, the year he retired from the office, Garza received the Águila Azteca from Mexico in recognition of his work to strengthen the bonds between Mexico and the United States.<ref name=Brownsville>{{cite news |url=http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/article_269f7660-822a-5335-8f86-c6cc5cd32943.html |title=Tony Garza plans for future beyond public office |first=Emma |last=Perez-Trevino |date=July 18, 2009 |accessdate=2013-05-07 |work=[[The Brownsville Herald]]}}</ref> This is the highest award that Mexico bestows on foreigners. Thereafter, he took a position as counsel with [[White & Case LLP]] and also as chairman of management consultancy firm [[Vianovo|Vianovo Ventures]].<ref name=Tribune /><ref name=Brownsville />
==Personal life== Garza married [[María Asunción Aramburuzabala]], the president of Tresalia Capital who had a personal fortune valued at $1.8 billion, according to one source.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_kmafp/is_200504/ai_n14746804/ Laura Bush to attend Mexican beer baroness' wedding to US diplomat: report] AFP</ref> The couple divorced in May 2010.<ref>[http://www.quien.com/espectaculos/2010/05/10/aramburuzabala-y-garza-se-divorcian Aramburuzabala y Garza se divorcian] {{in lang|es}}</ref> He subsequently married Dr Liz Beightler.<ref name=AboutAntonioGarza>{{cite web |title=About Antonio Garza |url=http://www.tonygarza.com/about-antonio-garza/ |publisher=TonyGarza.com |year=2014 |accessdate=2014-12-23}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{C-SPAN|47409}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[[Ron Kirk]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Secretary of State of Texas]]|years=1995–1997}} {{s-aft|after=[[Alberto Gonzales]]}} |- {{s-dip}} {{s-bef|before=[[Jeffrey Davidow]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[United States Ambassador to Mexico]]|years=2002–2009}} {{s-aft|after=[[Carlos Pascual (diplomat)|Carlos Pascual]]}} {{s-end}}
{{Railroad Commissioners of Texas}} {{US Ambassadors to Mexico}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garza, Tony}} [[Category:1959 births]] [[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Mexico]] [[Category:American politicians of Mexican descent]] [[Category:County judges in Texas]] [[Category:Hispanic and Latino American diplomats]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Members of the Railroad Commission of Texas]] [[Category:People from Cameron, Texas]] [[Category:Saint Joseph Academy (Brownsville, Texas) alumni]] [[Category:Secretaries of state of Texas]] [[Category:Southern Methodist University alumni]] [[Category:Texas lawyers]] [[Category:Texas Republicans]]