SENATE MEMORIAL 26

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2016

INTRODUCED BY

Pete Campos

A MEMORIAL

RECOGNIZING FRANK W. SPRINGER AND REQUESTING THAT NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY AND THE HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT REPURPOSE THE MEDIA ARTS EAST AND WEST BUILDINGS IN LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO, AS THE FRANK W. SPRINGER ART GALLERY.

     WHEREAS, Frank W. Springer, who lived from 1848 to 1927, was for decades one of the best known citizens of New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, trained as an attorney in Iowa, Mr. Springer came to New Mexico in 1873 and established a distinguished legal career and successfully defended the Maxwell land grant company's claims to more than two million acres in New Mexico and Colorado; and

     WHEREAS, the town of Springer, New Mexico, is named after him; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Springer was also one of New Mexico's finest scholars and was instrumental in the establishment of the New Mexico normal university in Las Vegas, New Mexico, now known as New Mexico highlands university; and

     WHEREAS, in 1919, the board of regents of New Mexico normal university unanimously ratified a motion made by New Mexico Governor Octaviano Larrazolo to rename the college's main building "Springer hall" in recognition of Mr. Springer's efforts toward the success of New Mexico normal university; and

     WHEREAS, unfortunately, Springer hall was later destroyed by fire and the Springer name vanished from the New Mexico highlands university campus; and

     WHEREAS, in 1915, Mr. Springer lobbied the New Mexico legislature to appropriate funds to build what would become Saint Francis auditorium in Santa Fe, and he commissioned two murals, which now grace the walls of that auditorium; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Springer supported artistic endeavors and served on the boards of the school of American archaeology and the museum of New Mexico, and he supported the development of Santa Fe's distinctly revised architectural style; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico highlands university media arts program will be moving into the renovated trolley barn in Las Vegas in the fall of 2016 and will be vacating the buildings currently known as media arts east and west; and

     WHEREAS, it is proposed that the vacated buildings be repurposed as the Frank W. Springer art gallery; and

     WHEREAS, the goals of the proposal are to:

          A. recognize the role of Frank W. Springer in the establishment of both New Mexico highlands university and the New Mexico art museum;

          B. strengthen New Mexico highland university's academic programs, especially in the fine arts;

          C. recognize New Mexico highland university's artists, especially Elmer Schooley, Ray Drew, Paul Volckening and Harry Leippe;

          D. provide a venue for the security, preservation, display and study of New Mexico highland university foundation's permanent collection of over two thousand five hundred donated pieces with an appraised value of about four million dollars ($4,000,000);

          E. expand the foundation's permanent collection; and

          F. establish collaborative efforts with other New Mexico museums and art communities; and

     WHEREAS, the descendants of Frank W. Springer and the cultural affairs department have expressed support of this proposal;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that Frank W. Springer be recognized for his significant contributions to New Mexico highlands university and New Mexico's artistic legacy; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that New Mexico highlands university and the higher education department be requested to repurpose the buildings soon to be vacated, currently known as media arts east and west, as the Frank W. Springer art gallery; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the president and the board of regents of New Mexico highlands university, the secretary of higher education, the president of the New Mexico highlands university foundation, the secretary of cultural affairs and the Colfax county descendants of Frank W. Springer.

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