Javelina Hall of Fame
E.C. Lerma was on the 1935, 1936 and 1937 Javelina football teams and was a member of the “T” Association. He lettered in each of his seasons. He was inducted into the Javelina Hall of Fame in 1977.
Lerma, a native of Kingsville, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from A&I and has done post-graduate study.
He started his coaching career in 1938 as an assistant at Benavides High School and became head football coach, as well as track, basketball and baseball coach, in 1940 and served in that capacity through 1955.
He also served as director of the University Interscholastic League spring meet.
Lerma’s teams captured district championships in each of the last five years Lerma was at Benavides.
He became head football coach and athletic director at Rio Grande City High School in 1955 and remained in that post through 1966.
He was named coordinator of elementary physical education for the McAllen Independent School District in 1966 and also served as director of the summer Head Start program, director of the Adult Migrant Education and Adult Basic Education supervisor.
He was principal at Sam Houston Elementary School in McAllen from 1969-73, was principal at Gabe Allen Elementary School in Dallas in 1973-74, principal at Robstown High School in 1974-75 and superintendent at Benavides in 1975-76.
He is past president of the Benavides Rotary Club and the Benavides TSTA, organized the Knights of Columbus Council in Benavides in 1945, organized the Columbia Squire Circles in Corpus Christi, Alice and Benavides and is a life-time member of the Parent-Teacher Association.
Lerma was a delegate to the Rotary International Convention in Mexico City in 1952, is a member of the National Education Association, a member of the Texas Association of Elementary School Principals, the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals and a member of the American Association of School Administrators.
He was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 1968 and is a member of the International Platform Association (1972-76) and the Sports Trail Century Club (1957). He has been listed in Personalities of the South.
Lerma is married to the former Lydia Campbell of Corpus Christi and they have a daughter, Patricia, and a son, John.
