Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage, an initiative housed at the University of Houston and dedicated to preserving and making accessible the written legacy of US Latinas and Latinos, announces the launch of the Esther Campos Collection in its Digital Collections platform.
The newly available collection celebrates the life and career of Maria “Esther” (Estrada) Campos (1930–2025), a pioneering Mexican-American educator, civic leader and public servant who devoted her life to advancing educational opportunities for Houston’s youth.
Born in Houston on October 6, 1930, Campos earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Houston College of Education at a time when few Latinas pursued higher education. She became one of the first bilingual instructors hired by the Houston Independent School District (HISD), later serving as counselor, assistant principal and ultimately as HISD Trustee for District VIII from 1993 to 2003. In recognition of her lifelong commitment to education, the University of Houston awarded her an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2021. 
Throughout her career, Campos served on numerous boards and civic organizations, including Harris County Children’s Protective Services, Hope Housing and the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO). She was also a founding member of the Tejano Democrats and a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
The Esther Campos Collection features digitized photographs, correspondence and printed materials documenting her civic engagement, professional milestones and leadership in education and politics. Highlights include photographs of her swearing-in as HISD trustee, letters of appreciation and public recognitions that reflect her decades of service to Houston’s schools and communities.
The collection contributes to Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage’s ongoing mission to preserve and make accessible the histories of Latinas and Latinos whose lives and work have shaped US culture and public life. By making these materials publicly available online, the initiative honors Campos’s enduring legacy of leadership, education and community advocacy.
The Esther Campos Collection can be accessed at: https://usldhrecovery.uh.edu/collections/show/42
About Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage
Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage (“Recovery”) is an international research program that locates, preserves and makes available the cultural legacy of Latinas and Latinos in the United States from colonial times to 1980. The program is part of Arte Público Press at the University of Houston.
