Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales papers, 1930-2006.

Gonzales, Rodolfo, 1928-2005.

C MSS WH1971

Finding aid online and in repository.

1930-2006.

13.5 linear ft. (14 boxes), 11 oversize boxes, 2 oversize file folders, 2 photo boxes, 1 ovesize photo box, 8 audio-visual boxes

77 digital files (42 MP3, 21 WAV, 7 MOV, 7 MP4); 540.4 GB

Organized into 11 series: 1. Boxing, 1946-1986 (Box 1, FF1-45). 2. Bar, Bailbonds, 1965-1982 (Box 1, FF46-48). 3. Politics - City and County of Denver, 1954-1968 (Box 1, FF49-59). 4. Crusade for Justice, 1966-2000 (Box 1-3). 5. Writings, 1955-2004 (Box 3-4). 6. Activism, 1966-2004 (Box 4-6). 7. Personal, (1848), 1946-2006 (Box 7-11). 8. Restricted, 1956-1975 (Box 12-14). 9. Oversize, 1946-2007 (OvBox 1-11, OVFF 1-2). 10. Photographs, 1930-2005 (PhotoBox 1-2, OVPhotoBox 1). 11. Audio-Visual, 1969-1997, Undated (AVBox 1-8).

Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales (June 18, 1928 - April 12, 2005) was a Chicano activist, poet, and former professional boxer from Denver, Colorado. After a successful boxing career in the 1940s and early 1950s, during which he was ranked among the top featherweight fighters in the world, Gonzales transitioned into community organizing and politics. In 1965, he founded the Crusade for Justice, a Denver-based civil rights organization focused on advocating for the Chicano community. He also established educational initiatives, including the summer Liberation School and Escuela Tlatelolco. Gonzales gained national attention for his 1967 poem "Yo Soy Joaquín," which became an influential text in the Chicano Movement. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he participated in major political actions, including the Poor People's Campaign and the West High School walkouts, and helped develop El Plan de Aztlán, a foundational Chicano political document. He ran unsuccessfully for public office multiple times and remained involved in advocacy until his death.

Collection contains materials dating from 1930 to 2006. Correspondence, flyers, legal briefs, speech transcripts and newspaper clippings comprise the paper portion of the collection. Photographs of the Gonzales family ranging from the 1930s to 2005 as well as images of Gonzales speaking at rallies and meetings constitute a part of the collection. Ephemera includes trophies, plaques and Gonzales' boxing gloves and robe.

Gonzales, Rodolfo, 1928-2005 -- Archives.

Crusade for Justice.

Mexican American authors -- Colorado -- Denver.

Mexican American poets -- Colorado -- Denver.

Mexican American leadership -- Colorado.

Civil rights movements -- Colorado.

Political activists -- Colorado.

Hispanic Americans -- Civil rights -- West (U.S.)

Chicano movement -- West (U.S.)

Mexican Americans -- Civil rights -- West (U.S.)

Hispanic Americans -- West (U.S.) -- Ethnic identity.

Audiovisual materials.

Awards.

Blueprints (reprographic copies)

Clippings (information artifacts)

Correspondence.

Manuscripts for publication.

Personal papers.

Photographs.

MP3.

WAVE (format)

Gonzales, Geraldine Romero, donor.

Portales, David, donor.

Portales, Bertha, donor.

Corky Gonzales papers

First name spelling variants include: Rodolpho, Rodolfo, Rudolpho and Rudolph.

Contact Special Collections and Archives Dept., Denver Public Library, Denver, Colo.

Gift; Geraldine Romero Gonzales; 2007, 2008.

Gift; David and Bertha Portales; 2013.