Jerry Apodaca

Jerry Apodaca
24th Governor of New Mexico
In office 1975–1979
Preceded by	Bruce King
Succeeded by	Bruce King
Personal details
Born	October 3, 1934 (1934-10-03) (age 77) Las Cruces, New Mexico
Political party	Democratic
Profession	Insurance Businessman
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Jerry Apodaca Education Building, the headquarters of the New Mexico Department of Education

Raymond S. "Jerry" Apodaca (born October 3, 1934) was the 24th Governor of New Mexico.

Apodaca graduated from the University of New Mexico, and went into the insurance business. In 1965, he was elected to the New Mexico Senate, serving four terms from 1966 to 1974. Apodaca was elected governor of New Mexico as a Democrat in 1974, becoming the first Hispanic governor in the U.S. since 1918, along with Arizona Governor Raúl Héctor Castro, also elected that year.

Apodaca reorganized the New Mexico state government, creating a cabinet system with twelve departments. He also consolidated agencies and abolished several boards and commissions. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed Apodaca as Chair of the President's Council on Physical Fitness. After his term as governor, Apodaca became involved in publishing Hispanic-audience periodicals. He was a member of the University of New Mexico Board of Regents from 1985 to 1991.

Legacy

In 2004, the headquarters building of the New Mexico Department of Education was renamed for Apodaca.

One of the centers of the Ben Luján Leadership and Public Policy Institute is the Jerry Apodaca Public Policy Center.^[1]

References

1. ^ Ben Luján Leadership and Public Policy Institute

External links

	New Mexico portal
	Biography portal

• National Governors Association profile
• New Mexico General Services Department profile

Political offices
Preceded by Bruce King	Governor of New Mexico 1975-1979	Succeeded by Bruce King

Persondata
Name	Apodaca, Jerry
Alternative names
Short description	American politician
Date of birth	October 3, 1934
Place of birth	Las Cruces, New Mexico
Date of death
Place of death