Circled around a glowing fire pit, friends and family of Martin Ortiz ’48 fondly remembered his lasting impact on Whittier College.
More than 30 alumni, students, faculty, and staff came together Monday, November 11 to honor his life and legacy at the Ortiz Centennial Celebration. He served Whittier for more than 40 years and led historic, successful initiatives to enroll and empower Latinx students.
The evening celebration, filled with music, conversation, and cake, commemorated what would have been Ortiz’s 100th birthday. Fittingly, the anniversary was also Veteran’s Day; before attending Whittier on the GI Bill, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II.
The centennial celebration included screening a new video produced by Martin Ortiz Elementary, a campus in his hometown of Wichita, Kansas. The retrospective outlined the milestones of his life and values he embodied, including integrity and respect.
Around the Ortiz Memorial Fire Pit, people took turns sharing their memories of Ortiz, known affectionately as “El Jefe,” and the permanent impression he made on their lives. He founded the Center for Mexican American Affairs, a precursor to the Office of Equity and Inclusion, that offered resources to Latinx students to help them graduate. His legacy also continues through the Ortiz Programs, which provide academic, career, and financial aid resources for Latinx students, alumni, and families, as well as an endowed scholarship in his name and the Alianza de los Amigos Ortiz Fellowship, which supports Latinx students to complete an internship or research project.
During the celebration, Associate Vice President of Development Eva Sevcikova ’09 announced that a fundraising campaign for these three programs had met its goal to raise $100,000. Those generous donations will continue his transformative work with Latinx students and their families.
