Business Man and Civic Leader - Raul Quintanilla Sr.
Raul Quintanilla Sr. was born in 1948, in Monterrey, Mexico, raised in Mexico City, Mexico until the age of 11 when his family moved to Dallas, TX. He attended Sam Houston Elementary and continued on and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1969. He volunteered after graduation in the U.S. Army, and later served in Vietnam. When he returned, he married in October 1970 while still in the Army. He and his wife Sara moved to San Antonio, TX, and were based in Fort Sam Houston. In late 1972, he was released from the service with an with an Honorable Discharge as a Sergeant.
He returned to Dallas and enrolled in El Centro Junior College earning his degree in Business and Finance while holding a job as a supervisor at the Farmer’s Market. Soon after, he began working in retail collections where he was quickly approached and offered a job at First National Bank of Dallas, working as a collections supervisor for credit card operations. He quickly climbed the banking ladder while attending business college courses and banking training which propelled him with advances as Manager and Vice President. Soon after the buy-out of First National by Republic Bank of Dallas, he became President of the new bank NCNB, which later became NationsBank (now known as Bank of America). During his rapid climb, his last promotion at NationsBank, before his untimely death at the age of 41 he was again promoted to Senior Vice-President & Director of the South District for NationsBank, presiding over banks in various states in the Southwest area, including Oak Cliff, Camp Wisdom, Cedar Hill and Cedar Ridge, headquartered in the Oak Cliff Banking Center.
His many accomplishments while climbing in banking and finance were: Chairman of Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce; Hispanic Banker’s Association; Executive Committee for the Oak Cliff Chamber; Dallas Symphony Board, Anita Martinez Ballet Folklorico Board; Navidad En El Barrio, as a member of the Megatrends Task Group of the Dallas Concilio of Hispanic Services, Contributor to “Heart and Hammers” - both, United Way Agencies, as well as the Neighborhood Housing Services of Dallas; and Board Member of Mi Escuelita Preschool which has offered Raul Quintanilla Scholarships to benefit young children in school. One year after his passing, Dallas Independent School District named a middle-school after him known as “Raul Quintanilla, Sr. Middle School” located in Oak Cliff at 2700 Remond Drive, Dallas, Tx.
He is missed by his children and they are honored to have our school named after their Dad where his legacy can continue.
