Lujan, Manuel, Jr., 1928-2019

LUJAN, Manuel, Jr., a Representative from New Mexico; born on a small farm near the Indian Pueblo of San Ildefonso, N.Mex., May 12, 1928; attended grade school and junior high of Our Lady of Guadalupe; graduated from St. Michael's High School, Santa Fe, N.Mex., 1946; attended St. Mary's College, San Francisco, Calif.; B.A., College of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, N.Mex., 1950; National Guard Reserve; former vice chairman, New Mexico Republican Party; engaged in his family's insurance business; Delegate, Republican National Convention, 1972, 1976, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004; elected as a Republican to the Ninety-first and to the nine succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1969-January 3, 1989); was not a candidate for renomination to the One Hundred First Congress in 1988; Secretary of the Interior in the Cabinet of President George H.W. Bush, 1989-1993; died on April 25, 2019, in Albuquerque, N.Mex.

<p>Manuel Luján, Jr., served 10 terms in the U.S. House, making him the second-longest-serving Representative in New Mexico’s history and the longest-serving Hispanic Representative in New Mexico to date. A Republican in an era when nearly all the Hispanic Members of Congress were Democrats, he rarely faced stiff competition for re-election, despite the fact that his district leaned Democratic. Luján made his greatest mark as a member of the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, on which he was the Ranking Member from 1981 through 1985. Criticized by environmental groups for being pro-business, Luján sought to balance environmental conservation with development and public use, paving the way for his appointment as Secretary of the Interior after he retired from the House. While in Congress, Luján focused on regional issues and on the needs of his constituents. “If I’m remembered for anything, I’d rather be remembered for constituent service than national legislation,” he said.</p>

<p>Manuel Luján, Jr., was born on a small farm near the Indian pueblo of San Ildefonso on May 12, 1928, to Manuel Luján, Sr., and Lorenzita Romero. Lujan’s mother was a teacher and served as county clerk in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. Also a teacher, Luján, Sr., later used his visibility as the successful owner of an insurance company to launch a career in politics, serving as mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico, from 1942 to 1948. Additionally, he made unsuccessful bids for a seat in the U.S. Congress in 1944 and the governorship of New Mexico in 1948. Luján, Jr., attended Our Lady of Guadalupe in elementary and junior high school before graduating from St. Michael’s High School in Santa Fe in 1946. He then attended St. Mary’s College in California, earning a B.A. from New Mexico’s College of Santa Fe in 1950. While an undergraduate, Luján married Jean Kay Couchman on November 18, 1948. The couple had four children: Terra Kay, Jay, Barbara, and Jeff.4 After graduating from college, Luján worked at his father’s insurance company and served in the National Guard Reserve.</p>

<p>With his father’s strong roots in New Mexico, Luján, Jr., was well positioned for a career in politics. He bolstered his credentials by serving as vice chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party, and built strong community ties by serving on the Bernalillo County Crime Commission and holding leadership roles with the Coronado Kiwanis and the Knights of Columbus. After an unsuccessful run for the New Mexico state senate in 1964, Luján sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. House four years later. The elections for the 91st Congress (1969–1971) marked the first time New Mexico had two distinct districts. (Previously New Mexico had two At-Large seats.) Luján campaigned for the seat in the district in northern New Mexico. Primarily rural, except for Albuquerque and Santa Fe, the area encompassed 14 counties. In a crowded primary, Luján bested five opponents—including Schuble Cook, the Republican nominee in 1966 for one of New Mexico’s two At-Large seats—to secure the Republican nomination.</p>

<p>Manuel Archibald Lujan Jr. (May 12, 1928 – April 25, 2019) was an American politician from New Mexico who served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican from 1969 to 1989 and as the United States Secretary of the Interior from 1989 to 1993. He was a colleague of George H. W. Bush in the House from 1969 to 1971. In 1989, President Bush named Lujan to his Cabinet.</p>

<p>Lujan was born in San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, into the family of Manuel A. Lujan Sr. and Lorenzita (Romero) Lujan. His father served as mayor of Santa Fe and was an unsuccessful candidate for governor and Congress. Lujan attended Catholic schools in Santa Fe. He attended Saint Mary's College of California in 1946, and graduated from the St. Michael's College in Santa Fe in 1950.</p>

<p>After college, Lujan went to work for the family insurance company, the Manuel Lujan Agencies, which his father had opened in 1925. The Albuquerque-based company remains a leading risk management and insurance firm; in 2002, it was ranked as the most profitable of New Mexico's Hispanic-owned businesses.</p>