Fernando Ortiz, Jr.

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Fernando Ortiz, Jr.

Fernando Ortiz, Jr.


Fernando Ortiz Jr. is an editor and U.S. historian, with a primary interest in Latin America during the U.S. Civil War era.
 
Ortiz is the managing editor of Texas Public Radio, the San Antonio affiliate of National Public Radio. Before joining TPR in 2017, he was a news editor at newspapers in Corpus Christi and San Antonio from 1999 to 2010.
 
Ortiz also taught U.S. history at Northwest Vista College, San Antonio College, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Texas A&M University-San Antonio from 2015 to 2017.
 
He graduated with a B.A. in history from the University of Texas at Austin in 1998 and an M.A. in history from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2014. Ortiz plans to pursue a doctorate in U.S. history or American Studies.
 
He was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and moved with his family to Corpus Christi in 1983. Ortiz lives in San Antonio. 
 
Learn more about him at his website: StillnessofHeart.com/About

Handbook Entries

Title Contributor Type
Ramirez, Mario Efrain Author
Cockrell, Lila May Banks Author

Commemorating 250 years of American independence through the stories, people, and places that shaped Texas and the nation.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, Texans have a unique opportunity to reflect on the state’s role in the American story. Through exhibitions, programs, educational initiatives, and community events across Texas, Texas America250 encourages celebration, reflection, and commemoration at both local and statewide levels. At the Texas State Historical Association, we are proud to support this important moment through our mission-driven work in history education and public engagement, including Texas History Day, and we invite students, educators, and communities to explore this milestone in meaningful ways.

On July 4, 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the greatest nation in the history of the world. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Long may these ideals live in the heart of every Texan and every American. May God bless all who have defended our freedoms that we enjoy each day. And God bless the United States of America.

Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas

Commemorating 250 years of American independence through the stories, people, and places that shaped Texas and the nation.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, Texans have a unique opportunity to reflect on the state’s role in the American story. Through exhibitions, programs, educational initiatives, and community events across Texas, Texas America250 encourages celebration, reflection, and commemoration at both local and statewide levels. At the Texas State Historical Association, we are proud to support this important moment through our mission-driven work in history education and public engagement, including Texas History Day, and we invite students, educators, and communities to explore this milestone in meaningful ways.

On July 4, 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the greatest nation in the history of the world. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Long may these ideals live in the heart of every Texan and every American. May God bless all who have defended our freedoms that we enjoy each day. And God bless the United States of America.

Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas

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Explore local and statewide programs, exhibitions, and public events connected to the semiquincentennial and the many stories that shape our shared history.

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Participate through education and community engagement

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