Dionicio Morales | Labor organizer, 89

Dionicio Morales, 89, a former labor organizer whose efforts helped lead to one of the nation's largest Latino social-service providers, died last Wednesday of natural causes at Beverly Hospital in Montebello, Calif.

He was organizing garment workers in the early 1960s when he decided to do something to help residents of the largely Hispanic neighborhoods in East Los Angeles who lacked health care, job training, child care and other services.

He created the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation in 1963 and called the White House for help. Mr. Morales eventually persuaded then-Vice President Lyndon Johnson to meet with members of the Mexican American community in Los Angeles. Johnson later helped his foundation secure funding from the Department of Labor. The foundation provides English classes, immigration assistance and other services to people with low and moderate incomes.

- AP