Dr. José Ángel Gutiérrez was President and Chief Operating Officer of the Greater Dallas Legal and Community Development Foundation since 1986. He is a licensed attorney in Texas and several federal jurisdictions, and a Professor Emeritus of Political Science. Dr. Gutiérrez is also the founder of the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas-Arlington, which includes the oral history project.

During the Chicano Movement, he was regarded as one of the Four Horsemen of that era. He has authored and co-authored 31 books, including 4 children’s books.

Dr. Gutiérrez has received numerous professional honors, including the 2019 National Hispanic Hero Award from the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute in Chicago, Illinois, and the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award from Texas A & M University-Kingsville.