Interviewee

Julius Lowenberg

Interviewer

Kristine Navarro

Project

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee

Julius Lowenberg was born on April 14, 1934 in El Paso, Texas. Julius attended St. Patrick’s Elementary and High School. Julius was part of the first graduating class. Julius attended The University of Texas at El Paso.Julius is married to Irene and they have six children. Julius is the owner and founder of Julius Lowenberg and Associates.

Summary of Interview

When Julius graduated from St. Patrick’s Cathedral High School in the early 1950’s, he went to work for Fur Foods and then the railroad company. After being let go from the railroad company, Julius started volunteer coaching touch football. The following year, Julius began coaching tackle football and basketball at St. Patrick’s. During this time, Julius began attending The University of Texas at El Paso and did so while coaching at St. Patrick’s. Julius left St. Patrick’s to coach at Putnam Elementary when he was offered a high school coaching job at a school in Canutillo, a community in the El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area. Julius took the job at Canutillo High School and had the chance to build the athletics program from the very bottom. Julius became known as “Coach,” taught athletics for 12 years at Canutillo High School, won 21 district championships, 2 state championships while coaching basketball, football, track and cross-country. During the first years coaching at Canutillo, the students lacked a field to practice and would practice at a nearby farm. Julius fostered self-respect by having his athletes wear clean pants, shirt and a tie to their games and his firm rules provided much guidance for his young students. When the school finally got a field, Julius planted the seed during the summer and the kids would spend the nights on the field and took care of manually moving the sprinklers around for the field to receive adequate water. The athletics program at Canutillo High School grew out of community involvement. The janitors built the bleachers and the press box, Irene would sell burritos, and a janitor would bring the game ball out to the field at the beginning of every game. After being at Canutillo High School for 12 years, Julius felt that he was done with coaching and went to work for Bob Hayes selling cleaning. He stayed with that job shortly before learning of a coaching job at St. Patrick’s. Julius again went to coach for St. Patrick’s for a few short years before leaving to coach in Monterrey México, with the University in Provolone. Julius taught there for a short while before the peso devalued. Julius and his family moved back to the El Paso and he was offered a job with Gadsden coaching and he took it. Julius stayed with Gadsden for a short period of time before leaving coaching all together. Julius left Gadsden and went to work for the builder Floyd Burrs as his superintendent. Julius worked as a superintendent for a time until he quit and formed a partnership with Luis Rico and they formed what became Julius Lowenberg and Associates Construction. Julius also formed the El Paso chapter of the National Association of Remodeling Industry. Julius Lowenberg and Associates Construction focuses on commercial and high end residential remodeling and construction. The advice Julius would offer entrepreneurs is that nothing is helpful unless you get involved in it. Nothing is worthwhile unless you get involved in it. So if you don’t participate, you don’t get anything out of it. Be yourself and be honest.

Date of Interview

7-28-2010

Length of Interview

117 minutes

Tape Number

No. 1493

Transcript Number

No. 1493

Length of Transcript

40 pages

Transcriber

GMR Transcription Services

Interview Number

No. 1493

Terms of Use

Unrestricted

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