Someone looking for a positive example of an immigrant "making good" in coming to the United States would not need to look much further than Raul Hector Castro of Arizona.

Castro is now known as the "Oldest Living Governor" in the United States, and next month, he will be honored at a special Gala to be held by the Consular Corp of Arizona (CCAZ) in Phoenix.

"Mr. Castro, now 97, has lived an extraordinary life," said Gonzalo de la Melena Jr., President and CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in a release to The Latino Post. "He served as Arizona's governor from 1975 to 1977.

"He was confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador in 1964 and served in that post until 1968. President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia from 1968 to 1969. In 1977, President Carter appointed him to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Argentina. He resigned from the post in 1980."

De la Melena also points out that Castro is the only Hispanic governor in Arizona's history.

The Gala is planned for Dec. 11, 2013 at the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge. A special performance by the Phoenix Boys Choir and live music by the Four Seasons Orchestra is on slate for the evening's entertainment. Tickets to the event are $250 each, with sponsorship opportunities available.

Castro's life treks across two countries, and has taken many twists and turns in a story that could easily be held up as an example of an immigrant's struggle to reach the American Dream, especially considering the time period in which that journey began. His father was a Mexican miner and his mother was a midwife.

As a collegiate athlete, Castro was known as the "Douglas Destroyer" and was undefeated in the boxing ring. In addition to being captain of the boxing and track teams, Castro went to college on a football scholarship. He became a US citizen the same year he received his bachelor's degree in Education.

After college, Castro spent five years working as a foreign-service clerk for the U.S. State Department in Agua Prieta, Mexico. He then became a Spanish instructor at the University of Arizona and was accepted into law school. He was admitted to the State Bar in 1949.

Castro spent five years in private practice, then was elected Pima County Attorney in 1954 and went on to Superior Court Judge in 1958 before receiving his first assignment as an ambassador.

"During his life, Mr. Castro has been a teacher, a boxer, a hobo, a lawyer, a prosecuting attorney, a judge, Arizona's Governor and U.S. Ambassador to three nations," reflects de la Melena. "Born in Cananea in the Mexican state of Sonora, he came to the United States when he was two years old with his mother and father and ten siblings in 1918. He graduated from Arizona State Teacher's College (now Northern Arizona University) in 1939, and earned his law degree from the University of Arizona School of Law in 1948."

From 1980 to 2003, Castro worked in private concentrating on immigration and international law. Castro retired in 2003.

The Raul H. Castro collection at the University of Arizona recounts his many accolades:

  • Induction into the Northern Arizona University Sports Hall of Fame

• Receipt of honorary doctorates from Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, and La Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara

  • Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano proclaimed February 16, 2006, as 'Raul H. Castro Day' in Arizona
  • Raul H. Castro Park in Douglas, Arizona is named after him

• He has been honored by all of the major higher education institutions in Arizona. The Raul H. Castro Institute is a collaborative effort between Arizona State University, Phoenix College, and the Maricopa County Community College District. The Institute sponsors policy research regarding the Arizona Latino community

• The Raul H. Castro Scholarship is awarded annually to deserving students at the University of Arizona through the Center for Latin American Studies. Finally, the Raul H. Castro College of Social and Behavioral Sciences building at Northern Arizona University is named in his honor

The CCAZ, created in 1961 "to create a space for both career and honorary consuls to exchange ideas and information, perform official duties for their respective countries and educate and inform the Arizona public about their countries and their work," represents the consular offices of 35 different countries in the State of Arizona.

(FOR MORE INFO ON THE DEC. 11 GALA CLICK HERE)