SENATE MEMORIAL 41

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

INTRODUCED BY

Pete Campos

A MEMORIAL

RECOGNIZING RAY LEGER AND URGING THE HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OR THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO NAME AN EDUCATION BUILDING IN LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO, AFTER RAY LEGER.

     WHEREAS, Ray Leger, who lived from 1925 to 2009, of Las Vegas, New Mexico, was an icon of public service and a champion of education during his lifetime; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Leger was a graduate of Las Vegas high school and received bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees from New Mexico highlands university; and

     WHEREAS, after working in education throughout northern New Mexico, Mr. Leger became the longest-serving superintendent of west Las Vegas schools; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Leger oversaw the construction of modern west Las Vegas school facilities and a significant increase in federal funding and in math and science programs; and

     WHEREAS, through the United States state department, Mr. Leger spent a year sharing his expertise on education administration with the Costa Rican ministry of education; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Leger was the San Miguel county delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1969 and served as a Democratic state senator representing San Miguel, Guadalupe and De Baca counties from 1973 to 1980; and

     WHEREAS, as a state senator, Mr. Leger authored and sponsored legislation that championed education and health services, including a generic drug bill that provides New Mexicans to this day with significant savings over brand-name prescription drugs; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Leger sponsored legislation to provide for the initial state funding of Luna vocational-technical institute, now known as Luna community college; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Leger collaborated with educators from the university of New Mexico school of medicine to encourage students from rural and northern New Mexico to attend the school of medicine and then to return to their communities to practice medicine; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Leger also collaborated with other educators on innovative education endeavors, including the passage of the Bilingual Multicultural Education Act in 1973, which is the foundation for multicultural education in New Mexico;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that Ray Leger be recognized for his public service and significant contributions to education; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the higher education department or the public education department be urged to name an education building in Las Vegas, New Mexico, after Ray Leger; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of higher education, the secretary of public education and Las Vegas descendants of Ray Leger.

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