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Created page with "{{Infobox person | name= Louis W. "Lou" Zaeske, Jr. (Texas engineer, Czech heritage activist,<br>and conservative politician) | birth_date=December 17, 1941 | birth_p..."
{{Infobox person
| name= Louis W. "Lou" Zaeske, Jr.
(Texas engineer, Czech heritage activist,<br>and conservative politician)
| birth_date=December 17, 1941
| birth_place=[[San Antonio]], Bexar County,<br> [[Texas]], [[United States|USA]]
| death_date=August 30, 2011 (aged 69)
| death_place=[[Bryan, Texas|Bryan]], Brazos County, Texas
| party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]-turned-[[Independent voter|Independent]]
| religion=[[Roman Catholicc]]
| spouse=Jo Ann Macha Zaeske (married 1964–2011, his death)<br>
'''Two children'''<br>
'''Parents'':<br>
Louis, Sr., and Agnes V. Zaeske
}}
'''Louis W. Zaeske, Jr.''' , known as '''Lou Zaeske''' (December 17, 1941 – August 30, 2011) was a mechanical [[engineer]] and a [[political activist]] from [[Bryan, Texas|Bryan]], [[Texas]]. In 1988, he founded the interest group, the American Ethnic Coalition, which lobbied for [[English-only] as the official language of the United States.
==Early years==
Zaeske was born at Randolph Air Force Base, then Randolph Field, in [[San Antonio]], the son of Louis Zaeske, Sr. (1906–1991) and the former Agnes V. Prihoda (1910–1999) Louis and Agnes Zaeske are interred at New Bremen Cemetery near Coy City in Karnes County, Texas.
The senior Zaeske made his career in the [[United States Army]] Air Forces, and the family lived in various parts of the United States. Zaeske graduated in 1964 from [[Texas A&M University]] in [[College Station, Texas|College Station]] Station with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. He was a member of the TAMU Corps of Cadets and a squadron commanding officer. He subsequently studied at the graduate level at [[Purdue University]] in West Lafayette, [[Indiana]]. For more than thirty-five years, he operated Zaeske Engineering Company in Bryan.<ref name=obit/>
==Czech heritage==
Himself of [[Germany|German]] and [[Czech Republic|Czech]] descent, Zaeske was heavily involved in the promotion of Czech heritage groups. He frequently made public presentations on the migration of the Czech peoples from Eastern Europe. For many years, Zaeske was the president of the Brazos Valley Czech Heritage Society in Bryan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.czechheritage.org/CountyPages/brazosvalley.html |title=Brazos Valley Czech Heritage Society |publisher=czechheritage.org |accessdate=September 5, 2011 }}</ref> Zaeske was a member of the Czech Educational Foundation of Texas, which has established chairs for Czech studies at TAMU, the [[University of Texas at Austin]] and the University of North Texas at Denton.
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ceft.us/presidentmsg.htm|title=Czech Educational Foundation of Texas|publisher=ceft.us|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>
He was also affiliated with the Burleson County's Czech Heritage Museum, and the Kolache Festival in Caldwell as well as the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.czechtexas.org/|title=Czech Heritage and Cultural Center|publisher=czechtexas.org|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref> in [[La Grange, Texas|La Grange]].<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theeagle/obituary.aspx?n=louis-w-zaeske-lou&pid=153387503&fhid=7600|title=Louis W. "Lou" Zaeske, Jr.|publisher=''The Bryan-College Station Eagle''|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref> Zaeske helped found the Texas Polka Music Museum in Schulenburg, Texas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texaspolkamuseum.com/contactus.html|title=Texas Polka Music Museum|publisher=texaspolkamuseum.com|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>
==Political activities==
In 1990, Zaeske ran unsuccessfully as a [[Republican Party|Republican]] for the Texas State Senate because the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] incumbent in Senate District 5, Kent Caperton, refused to support Official English.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hI7kG1x237kC&pg=PA160&lpg=PA160&dq=Kae+T+Patrick&source=bl&ots=cLtrlly_L-&sig=XL6IyQMTXsqjNGO0clpb7M0fsaI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HWbmVIGABYefgwTfuoCYBQ&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Kae%20T%20Patrick&f=false|title=Nativism Reborn?: The Official English Language Movement and the American States|author=Raymond Tatalovich|publisher=[[University of Kentucky]] Press|location=[[Lexington, Kentucky]]|page=166|accessdate=February 19, 2015}}</ref>Caperton, however, decided not seek reelection,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberdisplay.cfm?memberID=319|title=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberdisplay.cfm?memberID=319|title=Legislative Reference Library of Texas: Kent A. Caperton|publisher=lrl.state.tx.us|accessdate=March 20, 2020}}</ref> and the Democrat James W. "Jim" Turne], subsequently elected in 1996 as a [[U.S. Representative]], defeated Zaeske for the seat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=57&searchparams=chamber=S~city=~countyID=0~district=5~first=~gender=~last=~leaderNote=~leg=72~party=Democrat~roleDesc=~Committee=|title=Jim Turner|publisher=Legislative Reference Library of Texas: Jim Turner|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>
The American Ethnic Coalition claimed that twenty-three members of the state legislature and four U.S. Representatives from Texas, all of whom were elected with coalition backing and took office in 1989, were committed to Officlal English. Zaeske's organization called for abolition of the printing of literature in [[Spain|Spanish]] by the Texas Workforce Commission and allowing public school districts to reject [[bilingual education]] programs. Zaeske also urged that Texas Comptroller Robert Douglas "Bob" Bullock, Sr. (1929-1999) be required to report to the legislature on taxpayer costs of bilingual programs and that [state Attorney General James Albon "Jim" Mattox (1943-2008) rule on the constitutionality of such measures. Zaeske's coalition proposed that foreign instructors in Texas public colleges. many of whom teach basic courses at universities, be required to pass an English proficiency examination. Zaeske spoke against a Texas law that permits lower tuition for students from Mexico who attend Texas public colleges: "We really can't understand why the citizens of this state should be required to underwrite foreigners going to school here when many of the children of citizens of this state are unable to go to college here because of not being able to pay the tuition."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/1988_583490/english-backer-cites-supporters-advocate-plans-to.html|title=English backer cites supporters/Advocate plans to run for office, November 12, 1988|publisher=''[[Houston Chronicle]]''|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>
In 1992, Zaeske supported [[Patrick J. Buchanan]]'s unsuccessful insurgent challenge to the re-nomination of [[U.S. President]] [[George Herbert Walker Bush]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/elec2/elec-BRYAN-TX.html|title=BRYAN, Texas (TX) Political Contributions by Individuals|publisher=city-data.com|accessdate=September 8, 2011}}</ref> In 1993, Zaeske ran as an [[Independent voter|Independent]] in a [[special election]] for the [[United States Senate]] seat vacated by incoming [[United States Secretary of the Treasury]] [[Lloyd Bentsen]]. He polled barely 2,000 votes. The election was handily won in a [runoff by the [[Moderate Republican]] state treasurer [[Kay Bailey Hutchison]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe|title=Texas Secretary of State, Special election returns for U.S. Senate, May 1, 1993|publisher=elections.os.state.tx.us|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>
In 2008, Zaeske and his wife, the former Jo Ann Macha, supported former [[Arkansas]] [[Governor]] [[Mike Huckabee]] for the Republican presidential nomination, ultimately won by the late U.S. Senator [[John McCain]] of Arizona. Jo Ann Zaeske told an interviewer that their support for Huckabee was based on the candidate's embrace of "family values." Lou Zaeske said that could not support McCain in part because of McCain's divorce from his first wife. He even indicated that he would vote for [[Barack H. Obama]] in a contest against McCain because he thought that Obama could work across party lines, an argument also used at the time by the McCain supporters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theeagle.com/local/Huckabee-generates-frenzy|author=Holly Huffman|title=Huckabee generates frenzy|date=March 1, 2008|publisher=''The Bryan-College Station Eagle''|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>
==Death==
Zaeske died at the age of sixty-nine at St. Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan, Texas. In addition to his wife of forty-seven years, he was survived by two daughters and five grandchildren.<ref name=obit/>
==References==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaeske, Lou}}
[[Category:Texas]]
[[Category:Engineers]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:Politicians]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Independents]]
[[Category:Catholics]]
| name= Louis W. "Lou" Zaeske, Jr.
(Texas engineer, Czech heritage activist,<br>and conservative politician)
| birth_date=December 17, 1941
| birth_place=[[San Antonio]], Bexar County,<br> [[Texas]], [[United States|USA]]
| death_date=August 30, 2011 (aged 69)
| death_place=[[Bryan, Texas|Bryan]], Brazos County, Texas
| party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]-turned-[[Independent voter|Independent]]
| religion=[[Roman Catholicc]]
| spouse=Jo Ann Macha Zaeske (married 1964–2011, his death)<br>
'''Two children'''<br>
'''Parents'':<br>
Louis, Sr., and Agnes V. Zaeske
}}
'''Louis W. Zaeske, Jr.''' , known as '''Lou Zaeske''' (December 17, 1941 – August 30, 2011) was a mechanical [[engineer]] and a [[political activist]] from [[Bryan, Texas|Bryan]], [[Texas]]. In 1988, he founded the interest group, the American Ethnic Coalition, which lobbied for [[English-only] as the official language of the United States.
==Early years==
Zaeske was born at Randolph Air Force Base, then Randolph Field, in [[San Antonio]], the son of Louis Zaeske, Sr. (1906–1991) and the former Agnes V. Prihoda (1910–1999) Louis and Agnes Zaeske are interred at New Bremen Cemetery near Coy City in Karnes County, Texas.
The senior Zaeske made his career in the [[United States Army]] Air Forces, and the family lived in various parts of the United States. Zaeske graduated in 1964 from [[Texas A&M University]] in [[College Station, Texas|College Station]] Station with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. He was a member of the TAMU Corps of Cadets and a squadron commanding officer. He subsequently studied at the graduate level at [[Purdue University]] in West Lafayette, [[Indiana]]. For more than thirty-five years, he operated Zaeske Engineering Company in Bryan.<ref name=obit/>
==Czech heritage==
Himself of [[Germany|German]] and [[Czech Republic|Czech]] descent, Zaeske was heavily involved in the promotion of Czech heritage groups. He frequently made public presentations on the migration of the Czech peoples from Eastern Europe. For many years, Zaeske was the president of the Brazos Valley Czech Heritage Society in Bryan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.czechheritage.org/CountyPages/brazosvalley.html |title=Brazos Valley Czech Heritage Society |publisher=czechheritage.org |accessdate=September 5, 2011 }}</ref> Zaeske was a member of the Czech Educational Foundation of Texas, which has established chairs for Czech studies at TAMU, the [[University of Texas at Austin]] and the University of North Texas at Denton.
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ceft.us/presidentmsg.htm|title=Czech Educational Foundation of Texas|publisher=ceft.us|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>
He was also affiliated with the Burleson County's Czech Heritage Museum, and the Kolache Festival in Caldwell as well as the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.czechtexas.org/|title=Czech Heritage and Cultural Center|publisher=czechtexas.org|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref> in [[La Grange, Texas|La Grange]].<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theeagle/obituary.aspx?n=louis-w-zaeske-lou&pid=153387503&fhid=7600|title=Louis W. "Lou" Zaeske, Jr.|publisher=''The Bryan-College Station Eagle''|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref> Zaeske helped found the Texas Polka Music Museum in Schulenburg, Texas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texaspolkamuseum.com/contactus.html|title=Texas Polka Music Museum|publisher=texaspolkamuseum.com|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>
==Political activities==
In 1990, Zaeske ran unsuccessfully as a [[Republican Party|Republican]] for the Texas State Senate because the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] incumbent in Senate District 5, Kent Caperton, refused to support Official English.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hI7kG1x237kC&pg=PA160&lpg=PA160&dq=Kae+T+Patrick&source=bl&ots=cLtrlly_L-&sig=XL6IyQMTXsqjNGO0clpb7M0fsaI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HWbmVIGABYefgwTfuoCYBQ&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Kae%20T%20Patrick&f=false|title=Nativism Reborn?: The Official English Language Movement and the American States|author=Raymond Tatalovich|publisher=[[University of Kentucky]] Press|location=[[Lexington, Kentucky]]|page=166|accessdate=February 19, 2015}}</ref>Caperton, however, decided not seek reelection,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberdisplay.cfm?memberID=319|title=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberdisplay.cfm?memberID=319|title=Legislative Reference Library of Texas: Kent A. Caperton|publisher=lrl.state.tx.us|accessdate=March 20, 2020}}</ref> and the Democrat James W. "Jim" Turne], subsequently elected in 1996 as a [[U.S. Representative]], defeated Zaeske for the seat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=57&searchparams=chamber=S~city=~countyID=0~district=5~first=~gender=~last=~leaderNote=~leg=72~party=Democrat~roleDesc=~Committee=|title=Jim Turner|publisher=Legislative Reference Library of Texas: Jim Turner|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>
The American Ethnic Coalition claimed that twenty-three members of the state legislature and four U.S. Representatives from Texas, all of whom were elected with coalition backing and took office in 1989, were committed to Officlal English. Zaeske's organization called for abolition of the printing of literature in [[Spain|Spanish]] by the Texas Workforce Commission and allowing public school districts to reject [[bilingual education]] programs. Zaeske also urged that Texas Comptroller Robert Douglas "Bob" Bullock, Sr. (1929-1999) be required to report to the legislature on taxpayer costs of bilingual programs and that [state Attorney General James Albon "Jim" Mattox (1943-2008) rule on the constitutionality of such measures. Zaeske's coalition proposed that foreign instructors in Texas public colleges. many of whom teach basic courses at universities, be required to pass an English proficiency examination. Zaeske spoke against a Texas law that permits lower tuition for students from Mexico who attend Texas public colleges: "We really can't understand why the citizens of this state should be required to underwrite foreigners going to school here when many of the children of citizens of this state are unable to go to college here because of not being able to pay the tuition."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/1988_583490/english-backer-cites-supporters-advocate-plans-to.html|title=English backer cites supporters/Advocate plans to run for office, November 12, 1988|publisher=''[[Houston Chronicle]]''|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>
In 1992, Zaeske supported [[Patrick J. Buchanan]]'s unsuccessful insurgent challenge to the re-nomination of [[U.S. President]] [[George Herbert Walker Bush]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/elec2/elec-BRYAN-TX.html|title=BRYAN, Texas (TX) Political Contributions by Individuals|publisher=city-data.com|accessdate=September 8, 2011}}</ref> In 1993, Zaeske ran as an [[Independent voter|Independent]] in a [[special election]] for the [[United States Senate]] seat vacated by incoming [[United States Secretary of the Treasury]] [[Lloyd Bentsen]]. He polled barely 2,000 votes. The election was handily won in a [runoff by the [[Moderate Republican]] state treasurer [[Kay Bailey Hutchison]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe|title=Texas Secretary of State, Special election returns for U.S. Senate, May 1, 1993|publisher=elections.os.state.tx.us|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>
In 2008, Zaeske and his wife, the former Jo Ann Macha, supported former [[Arkansas]] [[Governor]] [[Mike Huckabee]] for the Republican presidential nomination, ultimately won by the late U.S. Senator [[John McCain]] of Arizona. Jo Ann Zaeske told an interviewer that their support for Huckabee was based on the candidate's embrace of "family values." Lou Zaeske said that could not support McCain in part because of McCain's divorce from his first wife. He even indicated that he would vote for [[Barack H. Obama]] in a contest against McCain because he thought that Obama could work across party lines, an argument also used at the time by the McCain supporters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theeagle.com/local/Huckabee-generates-frenzy|author=Holly Huffman|title=Huckabee generates frenzy|date=March 1, 2008|publisher=''The Bryan-College Station Eagle''|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>
==Death==
Zaeske died at the age of sixty-nine at St. Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan, Texas. In addition to his wife of forty-seven years, he was survived by two daughters and five grandchildren.<ref name=obit/>
==References==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaeske, Lou}}
[[Category:Texas]]
[[Category:Engineers]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:Politicians]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Independents]]
[[Category:Catholics]]