Edwin Leard Mechem (July 2, 1912 – November 27, 2002) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist from New Mexico. He served as the 15th, 17th, and 19th governor of New Mexico, the first person born in the 20th century to become the state's governor, as well as the first person born in New Mexico after statehood to ascend to the office. During his final term as governor, Mechem appointed himself as a United States Senator, pursuant to the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. During his tenure, he was one of five non-Southern Republicans in the Senate to vote against the Civil Rights Act 1964.[1] He was defeated in his bid to keep his senate seat in the 1964 United States Senate election in New Mexico.[2] He later served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico.
Edwin Mechem | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico | |
| In office July 3, 1982 – November 27, 2002 | |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico | |
| In office October 14, 1970 – July 3, 1982 | |
| Appointed by | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Seat established by 84 Stat. 294 |
| Succeeded by | Bobby Baldock |
| United States Senator from New Mexico | |
| In office November 30, 1962 – November 3, 1964 | |
| Appointed by | Tom Bolack |
| Preceded by | Dennis Chavez |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Montoya |
| 15th, 17th and 19th Governor of New Mexico | |
| In office January 1, 1961 – November 30, 1962 | |
| Lieutenant | Tom Bolack |
| Preceded by | John Burroughs |
| Succeeded by | Tom Bolack |
| In office January 1, 1957 – January 1, 1959 | |
| Lieutenant | Joseph Montoya vacant |
| Preceded by | John F. Simms |
| Succeeded by | John Burroughs |
| In office January 1, 1951 – January 1, 1955 | |
| Lieutenant | Tibo J. Chávez |
| Preceded by | Thomas J. Mabry |
| Succeeded by | John F. Simms |
| Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives | |
| In office 1947–1948 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Edwin Leard Mechem July 2, 1912 Alamogordo, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Died | November 27, 2002 (aged 90) Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | University of Arkansas (LLB) |
Early life and education
editBorn in Alamogordo, New Mexico, he attended schools in Alamogordo and Las Cruces. He attended New Mexico A&M University (now New Mexico State University) from 1930 to 1931 and 1935, where he was a member of Alpha Delta Theta fraternity. When it became a chapter of Sigma Pi fraternity Mechem was one of the first alumni to be initiated into the national organization.[3] He worked as a land surveyor for the United States Bureau of Reclamation in Las Cruces from 1932 to 1935. He transferred his college credits to the University of Arkansas School of Law and graduated in 1939 with a Bachelor of Laws.
Career
editNew Mexico politics
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He was admitted to the New Mexico Bar in 1939 and practiced law in Las Cruces and later Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was an FBI agent from 1942 to 1945 and a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from 1947 to 1948.
He was elected Governor in 1950 and 1952, did not run in 1954, and was elected again in 1956. In 1954 he ran for the United States Senate but was defeated by sitting Senator Clinton Presba Anderson. After winning another term as governor in 1956, he was defeated for reelection again in 1958, then elected to a fourth term in 1960. A member of the Committee on Government Security from 1956 to 1957, and a member of the American Law Institute, he was again elected Governor in 1960. Mechem lost his bid for reelection on November 6, 1962. He arranged his own appointment (as was his prerogative under the Seventeenth Amendment) to the United States Senate when long-time senator Dionisio "Dennis" Chavez died later that month. In the Senate he voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He served until November 1964 and resumed his law practice after an unsuccessful run for reelection. He was a member of the New Mexico Commission on Reorganization of the Executive Branch and a member of the New Mexico State Police Commission.[4]
Federal judicial service
editMechem was nominated by President Richard Nixon on September 3, 1970, to the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, to a new seat authorized by 84 Stat. 294. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 8, 1970, and received his commission on October 14, 1970. He assumed senior status on July 3, 1982. His service terminated on November 27, 2002, due to his death.[4]
Notable ruling
editAs a judge, Mechem's made a ruling protecting the rights of American Indians on Indian lands from government interference.[5]
Personal
editMechem's father, Edwin Mechem Sr., had been a respected state district judge in Las Cruces.[citation needed] He was the nephew of another New Mexican governor, Merritt C. Mechem.[citation needed] His son, Jesse Mechem, was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army, when he died in combat during the Vietnam War.[6]
Death
editMechem died on November 27, 2002, in Albuquerque.[4]
References
edit- ^ HR. 7152. PASSAGE.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
- ^ NM US Senate Race - Nov 03, 1964. Our Campaigns. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
- ^ "Governor of New Mexico" (PDF). The Emerald of Sigma Pi. Vol. 43, no. 4. Winter 1957. p. 220. Archived from the original on 2021-10-23. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
- ^ a b c Edwin Leard Mechem at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ Simonich, Milan (24 December 2011). "Bill to name courthouse for Edwin Mechem". Alamogordo Daily News. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014.
- ^ Simonich, Milan (26 May 2024). "Soldiers' stories from Vietnam evoke memories". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
Sources
edit- United States Congress. "Edwin L. Mechem (id: M000623)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Edwin Leard Mechem at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- Obituary via The Associated Press