T.J. Martinez

Antonio "T. J." Martinez, S.J. (May 10, 1970 – November 28, 2014) was an American Jesuit priest and the founding President of Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory of Houston.

Early life and education Martinez was born in San Antonio, Texas. He attended St. Mary's Grammar School and St. Joseph Academy in Brownsville, Texas. After high school, Martinez graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in Political Science and Communications. While at BC, Martinez said: "The Jesuits reignited the idea of heading out and doing good. That caught my imagination. The Jesuits are known as the soldiers for Christ and the vanguard of the Church. That spoke to my faith and my sense of adventure." Martinez studied constitutional law under Charles Alan Wright. The school opened in 2009.

In 2013, every member of the school's first graduating class was accepted into college.

Recognition In 2010, Fr. Martinez was inducted into the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, a papal knighthood, for founding Cristo Rey Jesuit. In 2012, Houston's Papercity magazine named him one of four "new influencers" in the Houston. In 2013, the Phi Beta Kappa Society recognized him with the "Outstanding Contribution to Education Award" for launching a new model of school reform in Houston.

For his work with Cristo Rey, Martinez was named a Houstonian of the Year by the Houston Chronicle in 2014. Martinez was recognized with an award from Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education in recognition of his service to Catholic schools.