Oil and Gas and banking businessman and father of 2002 Democratic nominee for Texas Governor, Tony Sanchez, Jr.
He was a descendant of Tomas Sanchez de la Barrera y Garza, the founder of Laredo in 1755. Antonio Sanchez married Alicia Marroquin, and they had three children: Antonio Rodolfo Sanchez, Jr.,(Tony Sanchez Jr.) in 1943, followed by George Marcel Sanchez in 1947 and Iris Victoria Sanchez in 1954. Sanchez, Sr. is best remembered as a successful businessman in oil and banking and as a philanthropist in supporting higher education, especially Texas A&M International University.
During his early life, Sanchez was relatively poor and struggled to make ends meet on a daily basis. His family had lost considerable wealth and ancestral land after the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Sanchez was forced to quit school at an early age to support his family. He ran after trains during the Great Depression to scoop up pieces of coal to place in the stove in order to keep the family house warm. For a time, he also worked delivering the local newspaper and as a milkman. At the outbreak of World War II, Sanchez volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army Air Forces. This gave him ambition to provide the American dream for border residents.
In downtown Laredo, Sanchez came to own an office supply shop that he operated for twenty years. He sold typewriters and office machines. At the time, Laredo had high unemployment, no manufacturing, and limited retail business. His oldest son, Tony Sanchez, Jr., later recalled that, on some nights, his father gazed across the border at the success of Pemex oil wells along the Rio Grande. He believed oil had no political boundaries, and it was time to take a risk in the oil industry in South Texas.
Sanchez, along with his son, Tony, Jr. and a friend, geologist Brian E. O'Brien, concluded that Texas had one of the largest pools of natural gas in the USA-bigger than the Hugoton Field that stretched southward from Kansas to the Texas Panhandle. In 1973, they drilled their first successful well on the Nopalosa Ranch in Webb County. After a couple of more successful wells in 1974, they established the Sanchez-O'Brien Oil and Gas Corporation. That same year, they discovered a large natural gas field in Webb and Zapata Counties. After many companies such as Exxon had failed to find oil in the area, Sanchez had succeeded. Much of his fortune came from the oil industry.
He now possessed the economic resources from his success in the oil industry to realize his dream for political change in Laredo. In 1966, he, along with a few friends, founded the Bank of Commerce-Laredo where he became co-owner and the chairman of the board. Through his influences in Bank of Commerce (now known as International Bank of Commerce [IBC]), he was able to create an environment for success by helping small businesses on both sides of the border. Sanchez embraced two cultures and had a personal commitment to create economic and educational opportunities for South Texas. IBC started with less than $1 million in assets and had grown to more than $11 billion by 2017. Sanchez, Sr. was also a majority stock owner in Tesoro Savings and Loan.
Lifelong Democrat and deeply involved in state and local politics, much of Sanchez's efforts were aimed at defeating the dominant and corrupt political party in Laredo, the Independent Club (or Partido Viejo) that dominated Laredo and Webb County and was headed by J.C. 'Pepe' Martin. To compete against Martin, Sanchez Sr., along with his son, Tony, Jr., supported local candidates and financed businesses as a way to assist owners in resisting Martin's political machine. On July 4, 1978, the father and son established the Laredo Daily News as a daily newspaper to compete with the well-established Laredo Times. Laredo Daily News operated as a morning newspaper that promoted the Laredo Times to switch to from an afternoon to a morning newspaper.
In 1981, Sanchez filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against the Laredo Times for invasion-of-privacy. He accused the Laredo Times of using Small Business Administration records to estimate his private fortune at $50 million. In 1984, Sanchez filed a second unsuccessful lawsuit against the Laredo Times for what he perceived as a libelous headline that falsely tied the family-owned Tesoro Savings and Loan to Mexican drug trafficking. After nine years of competition, he sold the Laredo Times to the Hearst Corporation in 1986.
He was a descendant of Tomas Sanchez de la Barrera y Garza, the founder of Laredo in 1755. Antonio Sanchez married Alicia Marroquin, and they had three children: Antonio Rodolfo Sanchez, Jr.,(Tony Sanchez Jr.) in 1943, followed by George Marcel Sanchez in 1947 and Iris Victoria Sanchez in 1954. Sanchez, Sr. is best remembered as a successful businessman in oil and banking and as a philanthropist in supporting higher education, especially Texas A&M International University.
During his early life, Sanchez was relatively poor and struggled to make ends meet on a daily basis. His family had lost considerable wealth and ancestral land after the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Sanchez was forced to quit school at an early age to support his family. He ran after trains during the Great Depression to scoop up pieces of coal to place in the stove in order to keep the family house warm. For a time, he also worked delivering the local newspaper and as a milkman. At the outbreak of World War II, Sanchez volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army Air Forces. This gave him ambition to provide the American dream for border residents.
In downtown Laredo, Sanchez came to own an office supply shop that he operated for twenty years. He sold typewriters and office machines. At the time, Laredo had high unemployment, no manufacturing, and limited retail business. His oldest son, Tony Sanchez, Jr., later recalled that, on some nights, his father gazed across the border at the success of Pemex oil wells along the Rio Grande. He believed oil had no political boundaries, and it was time to take a risk in the oil industry in South Texas.
Sanchez, along with his son, Tony, Jr. and a friend, geologist Brian E. O'Brien, concluded that Texas had one of the largest pools of natural gas in the USA-bigger than the Hugoton Field that stretched southward from Kansas to the Texas Panhandle. In 1973, they drilled their first successful well on the Nopalosa Ranch in Webb County. After a couple of more successful wells in 1974, they established the Sanchez-O'Brien Oil and Gas Corporation. That same year, they discovered a large natural gas field in Webb and Zapata Counties. After many companies such as Exxon had failed to find oil in the area, Sanchez had succeeded. Much of his fortune came from the oil industry.
He now possessed the economic resources from his success in the oil industry to realize his dream for political change in Laredo. In 1966, he, along with a few friends, founded the Bank of Commerce-Laredo where he became co-owner and the chairman of the board. Through his influences in Bank of Commerce (now known as International Bank of Commerce [IBC]), he was able to create an environment for success by helping small businesses on both sides of the border. Sanchez embraced two cultures and had a personal commitment to create economic and educational opportunities for South Texas. IBC started with less than $1 million in assets and had grown to more than $11 billion by 2017. Sanchez, Sr. was also a majority stock owner in Tesoro Savings and Loan.
Lifelong Democrat and deeply involved in state and local politics, much of Sanchez's efforts were aimed at defeating the dominant and corrupt political party in Laredo, the Independent Club (or Partido Viejo) that dominated Laredo and Webb County and was headed by J.C. 'Pepe' Martin. To compete against Martin, Sanchez Sr., along with his son, Tony, Jr., supported local candidates and financed businesses as a way to assist owners in resisting Martin's political machine. On July 4, 1978, the father and son established the Laredo Daily News as a daily newspaper to compete with the well-established Laredo Times. Laredo Daily News operated as a morning newspaper that promoted the Laredo Times to switch to from an afternoon to a morning newspaper.
In 1981, Sanchez filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against the Laredo Times for invasion-of-privacy. He accused the Laredo Times of using Small Business Administration records to estimate his private fortune at $50 million. In 1984, Sanchez filed a second unsuccessful lawsuit against the Laredo Times for what he perceived as a libelous headline that falsely tied the family-owned Tesoro Savings and Loan to Mexican drug trafficking. After nine years of competition, he sold the Laredo Times to the Hearst Corporation in 1986.
Oil and Gas and banking businessman and father of 2002 Democratic nominee for Texas Governor, Tony Sanchez, Jr.
He was a descendant of Tomas Sanchez de la Barrera y Garza, the founder of Laredo in 1755. Antonio Sanchez married Alicia Marroquin, and they had three children: Antonio Rodolfo Sanchez, Jr.,(Tony Sanchez Jr.) in 1943, followed by George Marcel Sanchez in 1947 and Iris Victoria Sanchez in 1954. Sanchez, Sr. is best remembered as a successful businessman in oil and banking and as a philanthropist in supporting higher education, especially Texas A&M International University.
During his early life, Sanchez was relatively poor and struggled to make ends meet on a daily basis. His family had lost considerable wealth and ancestral land after the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Sanchez was forced to quit school at an early age to support his family. He ran after trains during the Great Depression to scoop up pieces of coal to place in the stove in order to keep the family house warm. For a time, he also worked delivering the local newspaper and as a milkman. At the outbreak of World War II, Sanchez volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army Air Forces. This gave him ambition to provide the American dream for border residents.
In downtown Laredo, Sanchez came to own an office supply shop that he operated for twenty years. He sold typewriters and office machines. At the time, Laredo had high unemployment, no manufacturing, and limited retail business. His oldest son, Tony Sanchez, Jr., later recalled that, on some nights, his father gazed across the border at the success of Pemex oil wells along the Rio Grande. He believed oil had no political boundaries, and it was time to take a risk in the oil industry in South Texas.
Sanchez, along with his son, Tony, Jr. and a friend, geologist Brian E. O'Brien, concluded that Texas had one of the largest pools of natural gas in the USA-bigger than the Hugoton Field that stretched southward from Kansas to the Texas Panhandle. In 1973, they drilled their first successful well on the Nopalosa Ranch in Webb County. After a couple of more successful wells in 1974, they established the Sanchez-O'Brien Oil and Gas Corporation. That same year, they discovered a large natural gas field in Webb and Zapata Counties. After many companies such as Exxon had failed to find oil in the area, Sanchez had succeeded. Much of his fortune came from the oil industry.
He now possessed the economic resources from his success in the oil industry to realize his dream for political change in Laredo. In 1966, he, along with a few friends, founded the Bank of Commerce-Laredo where he became co-owner and the chairman of the board. Through his influences in Bank of Commerce (now known as International Bank of Commerce [IBC]), he was able to create an environment for success by helping small businesses on both sides of the border. Sanchez embraced two cultures and had a personal commitment to create economic and educational opportunities for South Texas. IBC started with less than $1 million in assets and had grown to more than $11 billion by 2017. Sanchez, Sr. was also a majority stock owner in Tesoro Savings and Loan.
Lifelong Democrat and deeply involved in state and local politics, much of Sanchez's efforts were aimed at defeating the dominant and corrupt political party in Laredo, the Independent Club (or Partido Viejo) that dominated Laredo and Webb County and was headed by J.C. 'Pepe' Martin. To compete against Martin, Sanchez Sr., along with his son, Tony, Jr., supported local candidates and financed businesses as a way to assist owners in resisting Martin's political machine. On July 4, 1978, the father and son established the Laredo Daily News as a daily newspaper to compete with the well-established Laredo Times. Laredo Daily News operated as a morning newspaper that promoted the Laredo Times to switch to from an afternoon to a morning newspaper.
In 1981, Sanchez filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against the Laredo Times for invasion-of-privacy. He accused the Laredo Times of using Small Business Administration records to estimate his private fortune at $50 million. In 1984, Sanchez filed a second unsuccessful lawsuit against the Laredo Times for what he perceived as a libelous headline that falsely tied the family-owned Tesoro Savings and Loan to Mexican drug trafficking. After nine years of competition, he sold the Laredo Times to the Hearst Corporation in 1986.
He was a descendant of Tomas Sanchez de la Barrera y Garza, the founder of Laredo in 1755. Antonio Sanchez married Alicia Marroquin, and they had three children: Antonio Rodolfo Sanchez, Jr.,(Tony Sanchez Jr.) in 1943, followed by George Marcel Sanchez in 1947 and Iris Victoria Sanchez in 1954. Sanchez, Sr. is best remembered as a successful businessman in oil and banking and as a philanthropist in supporting higher education, especially Texas A&M International University.
During his early life, Sanchez was relatively poor and struggled to make ends meet on a daily basis. His family had lost considerable wealth and ancestral land after the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Sanchez was forced to quit school at an early age to support his family. He ran after trains during the Great Depression to scoop up pieces of coal to place in the stove in order to keep the family house warm. For a time, he also worked delivering the local newspaper and as a milkman. At the outbreak of World War II, Sanchez volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army Air Forces. This gave him ambition to provide the American dream for border residents.
In downtown Laredo, Sanchez came to own an office supply shop that he operated for twenty years. He sold typewriters and office machines. At the time, Laredo had high unemployment, no manufacturing, and limited retail business. His oldest son, Tony Sanchez, Jr., later recalled that, on some nights, his father gazed across the border at the success of Pemex oil wells along the Rio Grande. He believed oil had no political boundaries, and it was time to take a risk in the oil industry in South Texas.
Sanchez, along with his son, Tony, Jr. and a friend, geologist Brian E. O'Brien, concluded that Texas had one of the largest pools of natural gas in the USA-bigger than the Hugoton Field that stretched southward from Kansas to the Texas Panhandle. In 1973, they drilled their first successful well on the Nopalosa Ranch in Webb County. After a couple of more successful wells in 1974, they established the Sanchez-O'Brien Oil and Gas Corporation. That same year, they discovered a large natural gas field in Webb and Zapata Counties. After many companies such as Exxon had failed to find oil in the area, Sanchez had succeeded. Much of his fortune came from the oil industry.
He now possessed the economic resources from his success in the oil industry to realize his dream for political change in Laredo. In 1966, he, along with a few friends, founded the Bank of Commerce-Laredo where he became co-owner and the chairman of the board. Through his influences in Bank of Commerce (now known as International Bank of Commerce [IBC]), he was able to create an environment for success by helping small businesses on both sides of the border. Sanchez embraced two cultures and had a personal commitment to create economic and educational opportunities for South Texas. IBC started with less than $1 million in assets and had grown to more than $11 billion by 2017. Sanchez, Sr. was also a majority stock owner in Tesoro Savings and Loan.
Lifelong Democrat and deeply involved in state and local politics, much of Sanchez's efforts were aimed at defeating the dominant and corrupt political party in Laredo, the Independent Club (or Partido Viejo) that dominated Laredo and Webb County and was headed by J.C. 'Pepe' Martin. To compete against Martin, Sanchez Sr., along with his son, Tony, Jr., supported local candidates and financed businesses as a way to assist owners in resisting Martin's political machine. On July 4, 1978, the father and son established the Laredo Daily News as a daily newspaper to compete with the well-established Laredo Times. Laredo Daily News operated as a morning newspaper that promoted the Laredo Times to switch to from an afternoon to a morning newspaper.
In 1981, Sanchez filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against the Laredo Times for invasion-of-privacy. He accused the Laredo Times of using Small Business Administration records to estimate his private fortune at $50 million. In 1984, Sanchez filed a second unsuccessful lawsuit against the Laredo Times for what he perceived as a libelous headline that falsely tied the family-owned Tesoro Savings and Loan to Mexican drug trafficking. After nine years of competition, he sold the Laredo Times to the Hearst Corporation in 1986.
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