About ARTURO VASQUEZ
Arturo Vasquez was born in Laredo, Texas, on December 13, 1924. While attending Martin High School, WWII had begun. After graduation, Vasquez volunteered to be in the Army Air Corps and was assigned to be a nose gunner in a B24 bomber, in the European Theater. After 35 missions, primarily over Germany, he was honorably discharged. He went back to Laredo and applied to attend the University of Texas. He received a degree in accounting in 1949 and moved to Corpus Christi, Texas where his mentor, Dr. Hector P. Garcia, founder of the American GI Forum, lived and worked.
Vasquez was a businessman in Corpus Christi for 43 years, beginning with his bookkeeping company in 1950. In 1953, Vasquez passed the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) tests for the first time, becoming a CPA. He renamed his company, Arturo Vasquez & Company CPA. His company was the first Mexican-American CPA firm in Corpus Christi, and he was the first Mexican-American to join the Texas Society of CPAs in Corpus Christi.
Vasquez was a Corpus Christi ISD school board member for 24 years (1952 - 1976). He served during the desegregation of schools.
On November 8, 2003, Vasquez was honored by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy, for maintaining his CPA license for 50 years. He held his license from August 1953 to December 2009. He died three months later.
Vasquez was proud of being a CPA. He always signed CPA after his name. People who knew Vasquez knew him to be an honest, ethical man, and knowledgeable about tax laws. His record with the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy reflects his ethical values.
Vasquez served on countless civic organizations, including:
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants;
- Corpus Christi Chapter of CPAs;
- Texas Society of CPAs;
- First in Corpus Christi to be a member of the Texas Education Agency Accreditation Board;
- First National Executive Secretary of American GI Forum;
- National Treasury of LULAC;
- Post Commander of the American Legion, Post 248;
- Board member of the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce;
- Board member of the Driscoll Foundation Children’s Hospital;
- Corpus Christi Economic Development Corporation;
- Board member of the Nueces County Hospital District;
- CCISD liaison to Corpus Christi Guidance Center - MHMR;
- Paisano Girl Scout Council;
- Knights of Columbus Council 1202, 4th Degree;
- Order of Alhambra, Caravan, Baza 78 (a Catholic organization);
- University of Texas, Texas Exes.
Vasquez and his wife, Marie Leal Vasquez, were married for 56 years upon his death and had seven children, 14 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.
Our mission - Supporting Education and those in need
Arturo Vasquez, CPA Memorial Foundation (Foundation) is classified as a "public charity" for federal tax purposes under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The Arturo Vasquez, CPA Memorial Foundation's mission is to provide gifts based on the four pillars of Arturo Vasquez's life: WWII VETERAN, CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT, CORPUS CHRISTI INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TRUSTEE, and FAMILY MAN.
- The Foundation will donate to Nueces County Veterans Services programs.
- The Foundation will work with Texas A&M CC to provide accounting students with financial aid, and scholarships to meet their educational goals of preparing to become an accountant and taking their CPA exams.
- The Foundation will be working with the Corpus Christi Independent School District and the Corpus Christi Education Foundation to assist students in need.
- The Foundation's family namesake, Arturo Vasquez, was the father of seven children and was married to Marie Leal Vasquez for 56 years. Arturo Vasquez conducted himself honestly and ethically and preached to his children to conduct themselves in the same manner.
LIBRARY RESOURCE: Arturo Vasquez's papers are held at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) library.tamucc.edu.
"Education is something nobody can take away from you. It brings respect (and) better salaries."
Arturo Vasquez, CPA from 1953-2009
Arturo Vasquez, CPA Memorial Foundation Inc
Eloisa Dowiat, CCEF, Marie Leal Vasquez, Dr. Roland Hernandez, Superitendent, NVH, Susana V. Majors
Our organization is committed to supporting education by providing scholarships and resources to students from low-income backgrounds. We believe that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and creating a brighter future for all. Through our partnerships with Corpus Christi ISD, Corpus Christi Education Foundation, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and Del Mar College, we are working to ensure that students have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Join us in our mission to make education accessible to all by donating!
Arturo Vasquez, CPA Memorial Foundation Inc
NEWS
January 2024
The Foundation, worked with the Corpus Christ Education Foundation (CCEF) to create a college scholarship, the "Arturo and Marie Vasquez Scholarship" for the 2024-2025 school year. The Arturo and Marie Vasquez Scholarship is for a CCISD high school senior experiencing homelessness, housing instability, or other challenges related to poverty.
February 2024
The Foundation connected with the Nueces County Veterans' Services and has donated to the Veterans' Food Pantry..
March 2024
On March 10, 2010, Arturo Vasquez died peacefully at the age of 85. At the end of this year, he would have been 100 years old.
April 2024
At the Nueces County Historical Society meeting on April 2, Nadine Vasquez Hefner gave a presentation about the life of Arturo Vasquez.
May 2024
Happy Mother's Day
NEWS
June - August 2024
Have a happy and safe summer!
Fall 2024
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Foundation Scholarships and Awards Committee awarded two students, in July, the Arturo Vasquez, CPA Memorial Foundation Test Support Fund for 2023.
Corpus Christi Education Foundation selected Amanda Middour to receive the Arturo and Marie Vasquez Scholarship in May 2024.
The Del Mar College Foundation selected Amber Robertson as the 2023 and 2024 recipient of the Arturo Vasquez CPA Memorial Foundation Scholarship.
The founders of the Foundation donated canned goods, can openers, spices, and toiletries to the Del Mar College Valdar's Market at the Oso Creek campus.
advisory director
Nathan schoggins
Nathan Schoggins is the grandson of Arturo and Marie Vasquez and the son of Terry and Valerie Schoggins. The family settled in Houston, Texas, where Nathan graduated from high school.
After graduation in 2006, Nathan decided to join the United States Marine Corps. He was stationed at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina, with the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, as a Radio Operator. He was deployed overseas twice. Once with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and then with Operation Enduring Freedom, in Marjah, Afghanistan. He was ranked as Sergeant before leaving the military in 2011.
Nathan looked for a new challenge by pursuing a college degree. He worked full-time and attended evening classes at the University of Saint Thomas, in Houston. He graduated with a BBA in Finance and Economics, and an MBA in Accounting and Strategy. His dedication to his studies earned him high honors at graduation.
Nathan’s greatest achievement was meeting his wife Lupita during college. The two married in 2018, and now have two adorable children, son Santiago, and daughter Camila. Since family life is important to Nathan, he and Lupita live in a house where their family lives nearby. Along with family gatherings, Nathan and Lupita enjoy working out and watching their children grow.
Despite efforts to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps as a CPA, Finance and Strategy were his true calling. Nathan has a successful career as a Financial and Strategic Business Partner providing services across various industries and companies.
advisory director
Daniel Martinez,III
Daniel Martinez, III is the grandson of Arturo and Marie Leal Vasquez and the son of Daniel Jr. and Deborah Martinez. He spent his early years moving as his father’s work in the petroleum industry moved the family to Anchorage, Alaska, and Lima, Peru. The family returned to Texas and settled in Cypress where Daniel graduated from Cy-Fair High School in 2008.
After graduation, Daniel followed in his cousin Nathan’s footsteps by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps where he served four years as an Infantry Rifleman with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division in Camp Pendleton, California. Daniel rose to the rank of Corporal and served as a Fireteam Leader prior to his discharge.
During the first year of his service, he married his high school sweetheart Marissa saying that was the best decision of his life. During their marriage, Daniel was deployed twice. In 2010, he was deployed to the Garmsir District of Helmand Province, Afghanistan then in 2011, he was deployed again as part of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Makin Island, a helicopter amphibious assault ship.
After his term of duty expired in 2012, Daniel took his first post-military civilian job working as a Pipeline Field Operator for the company Enbridge, a Canadian Energy Transportation Company in Kilgore, Texas. While working full-time, he attended night school at Kilgore College to complete his basic courses. Daniel and Marissa then moved to Lubbock, Texas, so he could attend Texas Tech University. In 2018, Daniel graduated from Texas Tech University Summa Cum Laude in Petroleum Engineering with a minor in Geology. His wife Marissa was inspired to pursue her own degree and would walk across the same stage and graduate Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Human Sciences two years later.
After graduation, Daniel accepted a job at Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) where he works as a Reservoir Engineer fulfilling his goal of following in his father's footsteps. Daniel and Marissa have a handsome son, Daniel Martinez IV, and a beautiful daughter, Mallory.
In his free time, Daniel enjoys spending time with his family, lifting weights, and duck hunting.
Inspired by the way his grandfather, Arturo Vasquez Sr., gave back to the community, Daniel has volunteered since 2018 as an online Math tutor for Literacy Lubbock, a non-profit organization that assists adults pursuing their GED.
ADVISORY DIRECTOR
Gabriel Castillo
Gabriel is the grandson of Arturo and Marie Leal Vasquez.
Gabriel is a Texas State University Honors Student majoring in the MACY accounting program with plans to pursue a Master's in Accounting. He is the Treasurer of the campus Stelos Student Organization and a Stelos Scholar.
Gabriel mentors first-year students, providing personalized support and guidance for those experiencing academic and social challenges.
Gabriel is an Eagle Scout.
He has been nominated to be Secretary for the Foundation beginning in 2025.
Donate
$50.00
Please donate $50 or more to help our young people advance their skills for a better life. Join us in our mission to make education accessible to the needy by donating!
Send your check or money order to:
Arturo Vasquez, CPA Memorial Foundation, P.O. Box 270592, Corpus Christi, Texas 78427.