Public servant, civic leader

Carlos Lizama Taitano Elementary School was first established in 1958 as the Sinajana Elementary School. On 27 September 1970, the school was formally dedicated as the Carlos Lizama Taitano Elementary School, more commonly known as CL Taitano Elementary School. It was renamed by law to honor the public servant and civic leader. Although there is no annual founder’s day celebration in honor of Taitano, a color portrait and biography are prominently displayed in the main office of the school.

Taitano was born 5 November 1932 in Hagåtña, Guam. He was the son of Carlos Flores Taitano and Joaquina Crisostomo Lizama. Carlos Taitano attended elementary school in the villages of Dededo, Hagåtña, and Agana Heights and graduated from George Washington High School in 1952. He went on to earn a bachelors degree in finance from San Francisco State College on 15 June 1959.

Taitano married Virginia Juanita Lujan on 28 November 1957. During their twelve years of marriage, they raised five children named Carlos Jr., Maria Therese, Carmel Jeannine, Evangeline, and William.

Taitano served a distinguished career as a Naval Supply Depot civil servant on Guam after taking Navy correspondence courses in financial management and education training from 1960 to 1961. He rose through the ranks beginning as a management analyst and becoming a director of Employee Management Relations and Services. He received special training in many different areas that helped him later on in his career as an educator, including personnel administration and management, oral and written communication, supervisory development, public works management, conference leadership and instructor training, and management methods.

Taitano served as an Infantryman in the US Army from 1950-1953 with tours in Korea and Japan. He also served in the Army Reserve as the personnel specialist in the 351st Military Government Unit from 1954-1957.

He was active civically serving as a member and chairman of the Guam Territorial Board of Education (now the Guam Education Policy Board). He is credited with directing the crucial changeover of the board to an autonomous Department of Education (now the Guam Public School System) for all public schools.

Taitano founded the Guam Post No. 41 of the American Legion in Guam and was a member of the Guam Recreation Commission, the Sinajana Civic Improvement Club and the Sinajana Parent Teachers Association. He was inducted into the Phi Delta Kappa International – Guam Educators’ Hall of Fame on 15 May 1994.

Carlos L. Taitano died 18 June 1970, following a short illness at the age of 37.

By Patricia Long Diego

For further reading

C.L. Taitano Elementary School. “CLTES.GU.” C. L. Taitano Elementary School Homepage.

I Manfåyi: Who’s Who in Chamorro History. Vol. 1. The Hale’-ta Series. Hagåtña: Political Status Education and Coordinating Commission, 1995.

Phi Delta Kappa International – Guam Educator’s Hall of Fame. Hagåtña: Nieves M. Flores Memorial Library, Guam Public Library, 1982-.