The Mama Lucys in Power, by Noel Harvey Pugach

When: Tue, Sep 27 2011 5:30pm

Where: UNM

Thanks to our speaker Noel Pugach, UNM Emeritus Professor of History and to Ly Flock and the UNM catering staff.

The Mama Lucys in Power: The Arrival of Modern Liberalism in New Mexico

Noel Harvey Pugach
Emeritus Professor of History
The University of New Mexico

In 1971, the liberal wing of the Democratic Party seized power in the New Mexico House of Representatives by electing Walter Martinez as Speaker. This constituted a revolution because southern and eastern conservatives had dominated the legislature since the 1930s. Over the next six years they passed a number of progressive measures that changed the political and social nature of New Mexico.

The talk will analyze the forces responsible for the Progressive victory and explain how they got their name, The Mama Lucys.