Edward R. Roybal was born on February 10, 1916 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His family moved to Boyle Heights in Los Angeles where Roybal graduated from Roosevelt High School. He went on to study business administration at the University of California, Los Angeles and law at Southwestern University. In 1947, Roybal ran for Los Angeles City Council, but was defeated. As president of the Community Service Organization, he led crusades against discrimination in housing, employment, and education. In 1949, Roybal retried his efforts and was successful in being elected to the Los Angeles City Council where he served for thirteen years. He left city council when he became Congressman of the 25^th District, which made him the first Latino from California to serve in Congress since 1879. Roybal continued to advocate for improving education, housing, and employment opportunities for Spanish-speaking U.S. citizens. He was also instrumental in the founding of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Roybal was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for thirty years.