Merritt C. Mechem | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| 5th Governor of New Mexico | |
| In office January 1, 1921 – January 1, 1923 | |
| Lieutenant | William H. Duckworth |
| Preceded by | Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo |
| Succeeded by | James F. Hinkle |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1870-10-10)October 10, 1870 Ottawa, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | May 24, 1946(1946-05-24) (aged 75) Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Eleanor Frances O'Heir |
| Residence | Albuquerque |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Signature | .png) |
Merritt Cramer Mechem (October 10, 1870 – May 24, 1946) was an American politician who served as territorial Supreme Court justice andfifth governor of New Mexico.
Mechem was born inOttawa, Kansas, to Homer C. Mechem and Martha (Davenport) Mechem. He graduated from public school in Kansas and attended theUniversity of Kansas andOttawa University. He was admitted to the bar in 1893.[1] After practicing law in Fort Smith, Arkansas for ten years, he moved his law practice toTucumcari, New Mexico at the age of thirty-two in 1903.
Mechem was appointed byGovernor Otero as the district attorney forQuay andGuadalupe Counties of New Mexico, a position he held from 1905 to 1909, being reappointed byGovernor Hagerman. He also served as a member of the New Mexico Territorial Council from 1909 to 1911. In 1909President Taft appointed him a justice of the New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court where he served until 1911. Thereafter he served as a district judge for the Seventh Judicial District inSocorro until 1920, being twice re-elected.
On the twelfth of February 1910, in Santa Fe, Judge Mechem was married to Miss Eleanor Frances O’Heir,[2][1] a native of Chicago, Illinois.
In September 1917 in a famous attempt to silence the press Judge Mechem convicted the editor of theNew Mexican of criminal contempt for publishing a story about the judge’s affidavit in a separate libel case against the newspaper. The contempt conviction was speedily reversed, but the underlying libel case was not dismissed until October 1919.[3]
In 1920 he became the Republican candidate for governor and won by the largest percentage vote of any previous New Mexico gubernatorial election. He decided not to run for a second term.
In 1923 he opened his law practice inAlbuquerque which he maintained until his death. His law offices were in the First National Bank building where he later associated with another former governor,Arthur T. Hannett. He served a term as president of the state bar association, and was a rankingMason, an affiliate of theScottish Rite bodies and holder of the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite at Santa Fe. He was also a member of theBenevolent and Protective Order of Elks,Sons of the American Revolution, theAmerican Bar Association, and the Albuquerque Lawyers Club. He died in 1946
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Merritt C. Mechem | 54,426 | 51.26 | |
| Democratic | Richard H. Hanna | 50,755 | 47.80 | |
| Farmer–Labor | W. E. McGrath | 1,004 | 0.95 | |
| Total votes | 106,185 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forGovernor of New Mexico 1920 | Succeeded by C. L. Hill |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of New Mexico 1921–1923 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Military Admin(1846–1851) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Territory(1851–1912) | ||
| State(since 1912) | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
