Rey Feo group picks pair for kingly duties
The Rey Feo Consejo Educational Scholarship Foundation has announced the names of the two candidates who will wear the crown of Rey Feo during Fiesta for the next two years.
Laurence “Larry” Kurth and John Mcfadden Sr. were named as the two Rey Feo, or “Ugly King,” candidates during an announcement made by the foundation Tuesday at Rosario’s Mexican Restaurant. Kurth will serve as Rey Feo for Fiesta 2023, while Mcfadden will reign for Fiesta 2024.
Also known as Fiesta’s “People’s King,” Rey Feo is elected by members of the foundation, which supports the Rey Feo Scholarship Program. Since 1947, the foundation — made up of former kings and business and civic leaders — has awarded $8 million to more than 6,000 students in the San Antonio area.
Since 1980, Rey Feo along with Feria de las Flores Queen, who also is selected by the Rey Feo Consejo Educational Foundation, have been part of the Fiesta celebration, participating in all four of the event’s major parades. Both Rey Feo and Feria de las Flores Queen help raise funds for scholarships.
Kurth is a board-certified litigator who is the managing partner of Akerman law firm in San Antonio. He has been involved in several Fiesta events since 1991. He was a member of both the Rey
Feo Consejo Educational Foundation board and the Fiesta San Antonio Commission, serving as commission president in 2005.
Mcfadden is a retired Air Force colonel who served for 22 years. He will be the first Rey Feo to be a retired military service member. A former fighter pilot, Mcfadden is a member of the Rey Feo Consejo Educational Foundation and has served on the Fiesta Commission on the host and membership committees.
In addition, Mcfadden was a member of Rey Feo 73 Augie Cortez’s court as the safety minister, who ensured Fiesta remained safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. As safety minister, he conducted weekly COVID-19 testing for each court member and their significant others.
According to the Rey Feo Scholarship Foundation, every year the foundation and the Consejo Real de Reyes Feos Anteriores, which comprises former Reyes Feos, select
two prominent businessmen to compete for the title of Rey Feo. Typically, the candidate who raises the most money from May to October is declared next year’s Rey Feo, with the runner-up serving as Rey Feo for the following year.
But this time around, the two are campaigning together to raise “the most money possible,” and they’ve agreed that Kurth will get the title for 2023 and Mcfadden will do so for 2024.
The duties of Rey Feo are to raise funds for the Rey Feo Scholarship Foundation and to be a goodwill ambassador for the city throughout the year. He and his court visit nursing homes, hospitals, orphanages and more than 60 elementary schools, encouraging young people to stay in school, respect their teachers and parents, be good citizens and pursue a higher education.