About Dr. Hornedo
Dr. Manuel Diaz Hornedo was born in El Paso on June 11, 1903. He attended El Paso public schools and graduated from El Paso High School with a scholarship award to the El Paso Junior College, from where he graduated with a Texas State Education Agency Teaching Certificate. He taught at the El Paso Technical Institute for two years and initiated radio instruction for the El Paso Public Schools in 1929 by giving a 36-lesson course over station KTSM in beginner’s Spanish. He attended Texas School of Mines for two summer sessions and then transferred to the University of Texas at Austin where he received his B.S. degree and was awarded a scholarship to the Medical Branch of the University of Texas at Galveston.
After receiving his M.D. degree, he joined the United States Public Health Reserve and started to work for the El Paso City-County Health Unit in 1933 as Assistant Director in charge of clinics (well baby, maternity, venereal diseases, and tuberculosis) and the Prisoner Medical Service at the El Paso city and county jails. Later he was named El Paso Police Surgeon for Emergencies and was awarded an honorary badge with the rank of Captain. He continued his work with the El Paso City-County Health Unit and was promoted to First Assistant to the Director. Upon retirement of the Director in 1952, Dr. Hornedo was appointed Health Officer for the City and County of El Paso and Director of the El Paso City-County Health Unit. At the same time, he was also appointed Texas State Health Department District Director for El Paso, Hudspeth, and Culberson counties. He held these positions for over 30 years until his retirement in 1969, with the title of Director Emeritus.
Dr. Hornedo continued his connection with the State Health Department as clinician in charge of several well baby clinics and maternity clinics until his final retirement in 1983. Thus his connection with the El Paso City and County Health Department lasted for over 50 years.
He also retired in 1967 from the United States Public Health Service, Commissioned Officers Corps, with the rank of Medical Director.
In 1971, Dr. Hornedo was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Administration of Public Health.
As Director of a small cancer research laboratory that he had established in 1935, the Hornedo Institute of Cancer Research, he wrote many scientific papers on the origin of the cancer cell, and proposed one type of adjunct cancer treatment, following surgery or other forms of treatment, to prevent metastases.
He also did research work on the human thymus gland for over 40 years, and it seems that his work has become very important in the determination of the etiology and treatment of AIDS and other diseases of the immune system.
Dr. Hornedo was married for 48 years to the former Maria Luisa Escajeda. Their children include Jose Manuel Hornedo, Mercedes Guzman, and Teresa Hornedo, all of El Paso, and Cecilia Hornedo of San Francisco, CA. He has two sisters, Celia Gonzalez and Consuelo Silva, both of El Paso. Today, there are many nieces and nephews and grandsons living in El Paso.
