A Border Son

Behind the success of every great politician, inspiring activist, or business titan, there is a staffer; Jorge B. Haynes was that staffer for some of the most influential leaders in Texas, Florida, and California.

Jorge B. Haynes had a knack for finding his way into the rooms where history was being made. From his work boycotting farmworker conditions alongside Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta as a young man in California to his role in President Bill Clinton’s NAFTA war room in the 1990s, he was the man behind some of the country’s most influential leaders and left an imprint on the monumental moments that defined their time. His career spanned almost five decades, beginning with his decision to leave home in Laredo to serve in the US Air Force. But his service to the country took many different forms. Haynes worked for the Bureau of the Census the first year everyone had a chance to declare their Hispanic heritage. He wrote speeches and orchestrated pivotal meetings for top political leadership in Texas and later Florida. In the final years of his career, he fought to make college a more accessible path for under-represented students in California. As his paternal grandmother used to say, “Cuando vas a un lugar donde nunca has estado, finge que has estado allí, “ which means, “When you go somewhere that you’ve never been, pretend like you’ve been there.” By the end of his career, there weren’t many places that Haynes hadn’t been.

Author Biography

Now retired, Jorge B. Haynes, Jr. served in the military and worked for leaders in politics, education and business.

Denise Gamino is the author of Around the World with LBJ: My Wild Ride as Air Force One Pilot, White House Aide, and Personal Confidant and was a reporter for the Austin American-Statesman. Benton Graham has written for The Guardian and Texas Monthly.