Fred Cordova was born in Stockton, CA and graduated from Seattle University, where he met his wife, Dorothy Laigo Cordova, who grew up in Seattle's Central District in the 1930's and 1940's. While students at Seattle University, both were active in Pinoy, the Filipino student club. Mr. Cordova also wrote for the student newspaper, . Educated by Jesuits and rooted in Catholic social teachings, Fred and Dorothy became involved in community social service and political activism. Fred was employed as a newspaper journalist at the , and as Director of Public Information at Seattle University from 1966 to 1973. Dorothy and Fred Cordova have devoted their lives to Filipino American activism. They founded the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) on November 26, 1982, which was first chartered in Washington State on January 7, 1985. This community based organization's mission is "to preserve, document, and present Filipino American history and to support research and artistic works which reflect a rich past." The FANHS national office and the National Pinoy Archives are located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.