John Burroughs (governor)

Infobox Governor
name=John Burroughs


imagesize=200px
caption=Burroughs as a student at Texas Tech
order=18th
office= Governor of New Mexico
term_start=January 1, 1959
term_end=January 1, 1961
lieutenant=
predecessor=Edwin L. Mechem
successor=Edwin L. Mechem
birth_date=birth date|1907|4|7|mf=y
birth_place=Robert Lee, Texas
death_date=death date and age|1978|5|21|1907|4|7
death_place=Portales, New Mexico
spouse=Jean Mitchell
profession=Businessman
residence=Portales
party= Democratic
religion=
footnotes=

John Burroughs (April 7, 1907–May 21, 1978) was a New Mexican businessman and one-term Democratic governor of New Mexico. Burroughs is remembered for honest government and introduction of the concept of a state "Personnel Act" to improve the quality of state workers and limit somewhat the effect of political patronage. [The New Mexico legislature did not pass the "Personnel Act" until January 1961 a month after Burroughs had left office. Garcia, F. Chris "et al." (eds.) (2006) "Governing New Mexico" University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM, p. 101, ISBN 0-8263-4128-4]

Burroughs attended Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University) where he played on the football team and was a member of the Agg Club, Tech Chamber of Commerce, stock judging team, and student council.cite book|title=La Ventana|page=146|date=1929|format=. His Texas plant made peanut butter.

A first time representative in the New Mexico legislature from Portales in 1957, Burroughs was picked as a gubernatorial candidate for his friendly manner, photogenicity, and honest image. Burroughs beat sitting Governor Mechem by less than one percent of the vote (103,481 to 101,567). [Irion, Frederick C. (March 1959) "The 1958 Election in New Mexico" "The Western Political Quarterly" 12(1)(pt.2): pp. 322-327, p. 325]

As governor Burroughs stressed financial responsibility and pressed state officials to recover funds due and owing to the state. He created the New Mexico Department of Development incorporating the Tourist Bureau, the Economic Development Commission and the "New Mexico Magazine" under one authority. He was not re-elected. The next year he made a bid for the Democratic nomination for governor, but was stymied early in the process when his bid was quashed by the powerful Senator Clint Anderson. [Harrison, Will (1962) "Inside the Capital" "Albuquerque Tribune" 12 January 1962, p. D-9] He ran again for governor in 1966, receiving the Democratic pre-primary convention endorsement, but was soundly defeated in the Democratic primary. [Holmes, Jack E. (1967) "Politics in New Mexico" University of New Mexico Press , Albuquerque, NM, pp. 258-259, [http://worldcat.org/oclc/1014145 OCLC 1014145] ] Burroughs retired from politics, but still served on the New Mexico Finance Board under governors Bruce King and Jerry Apodaca.

Notes

References

* Sobel, Robert and Raimo. John (1978) "Burroughs, John (1907-)" "Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States 1789-1978" (Four vols.) Meckler Publishing, Westport, CT, ISBN 0-930466-00-4

External links

* [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=64e4a7983c98a010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD "New Mexico Governor John Burroughs" National Governors Association]