Joseph Jay Pastoriza is an entrepreneur, tax commissioner of Houston and its first Hispanic mayor. Read more about the politician’s life at houston-yes.com.
Early years
Joseph Jay Pastoriza was born on January 8, 1857, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His family were Spanish immigrants. His parents died in 1858 from yellow fever shortly after bringing their young son to Houston. The boy was adopted by lumberman Edward Daly and his wife. However, Daly died during the Civil War in 1862.
Pastoriza studied at Fitzgerald’s Academy in Houston. In the daytime, 17-year-old Joseph was a blacksmith’s apprentice and a stenographer and accountant at the nighttime. In 1878, the boy started working as a business manager for the local newspaper, The Age.
A smart entrepreneur
In 1879, at the age of 22, Pastoriza started Pastoriza Printing and Lithographing Company. He also represented the rights of local workers as vice president of the Houston Manufacturers Association. The Houstonian supported the idea for businesses to close at 6 pm, thus reducing the working day. This is the schedule that the businessman introduced into his own company. Subsequently, many Houston enterprises followed his example.
In January 1886, Pastoriza married Lula Girard. The couple had a son, Hugh. The business of the Houstonian (along with different real estate investments) was so profitable that he could retire at 48.
Tax Commissioner
At the end of 1901, Pastoriza petitioned for municipal ownership of public utilities, gathering 800-1000 signatures. Around the same time, he joined the Houston Single Tax League. The entrepreneur acquired a plot of land south of the urban area for $350 in 1903. He built a cabin there, entrusting the league for its use.
Pastoriza promised to sell his property only if he was offered at least $5000. If the area had been developed, the adjacent upgrading would have immediately increased the cost of his property. He waited eight years to find a buyer. During that time, Pastoriza learned how the single land tax worked. He claimed he earned a windfall profit. The growth of the city caused its development while the improvements of other neighboring, previously built areas added to their worth. Between 1906 and 1910, the man traveled to cities across Europe and the United States to learn more about various municipal reforms.
In 1911, Democrat Pastoriza was elected tax commissioner of Houston. He was re-elected to this position in 1913 and 1915. Joseph advocated for the economic philosophy of social reformer Henry George and a property tax based on land value. During his stay in office, Pastoriza helped establish and chaired the Houston Committee on Taxation and promoted the introduction of a single tax. Soon, it was introduced in other American cities.
Mayor
In 1917, Pastoriza decided to try himself as a city head, as then-mayor of Houston Ben Campbell declined to run for a third term. Despite fierce opposition he faced during the election campaign, Joseph still managed to win 43.9 votes in the Democratic elections, becoming Houston’s first Hispanic mayor.
Pastoriza did not stay long in the position of mayor. Two months after taking the oath, he died of an apoplectic seizure in his home in Houston. The mayor’s body was cremated. At the time of his death, the successful real estate investor owned land worth a total of $75,000.
In April 1919, to perpetuate the memory of the former mayor, a bronze sculpture bust created by local sculptor Enrico Serracchio was placed in Houston.