In the summer of 1885, the Board of Regents installed Dr. Charles M. Light as the first governing administrative officer, or Principal, of the New Mexico Normal School in Silver City. He continued as Principal until 1907 when he was given the title of President.

As President, Dr. Light, an administrator and a teacher, provided the stability the young institution needed in developing plans that would lay the groundwork for the institution’s future advancement. He encouraged teachers to incorporate library acquisitions and museum relics, or artifacts, into daily lesson plans, required a reading course, increased the number of faculty to meet the demands of the expanding programs, and created an informal news class held weekly to discuss current events and dispel the sense of isolation from the rest of the nation and world often felt in southwestern New Mexico. He led education reform in the state by campaigning to provide employment advantage to professionally trained teachers such as N.M.N.S. graduates. During his tenure, Old Main, Ritch Hall (a women’s dormitory), Barnard Hall, and Spanish Hall (a men’s dormitory), were built; a master’s program was developed, and summer school started.

Community service was also a critical component of Dr. Light’s presidency. along with other faculty, Dr. Light managed a weather observation and prediction site at the school rather than rely on inaccurate forecasts received by telegraph from Santa Fe. Color coded flags would be raised daily from Normal Hill. When read from top to bottom, the flags gave citizens accurate information on the day’s weather.

Dr. Light resigned as President on April 22, 1914. In 1927, Light Hall, which was built in 1926, was named in Dr. Light’s honor.

E.L. Enloe came to the New Mexico Normal School in 1904 as Principal of the Elementary Training School. In 1909-1910 he was appointed Principal of the Business Education Department. From the 1905 to 1914 he taught Mathematics, Latin and History. Enloe received a Bachelor of Education degree from Kansas Normal College. In 1911, he received the first master’s degree conferred at the New Mexico Normal School in Silver City, a Master of Pedagogy degree.

Enloe was appointed President of the Normal School by the Board of Regents on June 19, 1914.

President Enloe was known for developing a national advertising campaign for recruiting students to the N.M.N.S. in Silver City, waging a war against illiteracy by organizing a night school, installing new equipment in the domestic science department, and introducing faculty committee work. The latter reflected an effort on the part of the new administration to use available intellectual resources for administrative assistance.

W.O. Hall, former head of the Training School of Milwaukee Normal School, was selected as President of N.M.N.S. in the fall of 1919. He had considerable public school experience, serving for a time as Superintendent of the Roswell City Schools.

President Hall did much to refine the Work by Correspondence offered by the Normal School for students who could not attend courses on campus. He reorganized the Correspondence Department, developed approximately forty correspondence courses, and encouraged student registration. Hall organized and relied upon faculty committees during his presidency, and separated the High School department from the Normal departments.

In 1921, President Hall resigned to enter into the banking profession in Portland, Oregon.

James Franklin Chamberlain received a Bachelor of Education degree and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Chicago in 1904 and 1905. He taught in the Chicago Public Schools, the Los Angeles School State Normal School, and the University of California at Los Angeles, the Kansas City Missouri Normal School, and teachers College of Columbia University prior to being named President. Chamberlain was past editor of the Journal of Geography.

Chamberlain reformed the curriculum offered by the Normal School through student input, and increasing offerings in geography.

President Chamberlain resigned in the spring of 1922.

In 1922, A.O. Bowden, a native of Kentucky, came to the N.M.N.S. in Silver City, later named New Mexico State Teachers College, from Baylor College, where he served as head of the Department of Education and Philosophy Dr. Bowden obtained a Ph.D. at Teachers College of Columbia University, an M.A. from Harvard, and an M.A. and B.A. from the University of Kentucky

As President of N.M.N.S., he supported the name change to New Mexico State Teachers College, reorganized the faculty and curriculum into departments, began the practice of using student employees, and reorganized the catalog. He promoted the summer session, separated the high school from the college in administration and organization, and built Light Hall, a classroom building, and Bowden Hall, a dormitory.

After leaving NMSTC he became Head of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Southern California.

He was the author of a number of publications, including: Schools, Paupers and Politicians, Equal Educational Opportunity for All?, Administration of Our Schools, Who Should Be Allowed to Teach, Propaganda and the Schools, The Curse of Illiteracy, The Need for Schools, and the Three R’s.

Dr. Bowden died in his Los Angeles home on February 10, 1946. In February 1965, he was named to the Hall of Distinguished Alumni at the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Hoyt C. Graham, a professor of chemistry at N.M.S.T.C. was elected President in 1933 out of the ranks of the faculty.

Dr. Graham revived the football program and other athletic activities that he believed would attract new students and arouse the spirit of the student body. His efforts to obtain accreditation for the college resulted in full accreditation by the American Association of the Teacher’s Colleges.

President Graham received his bachelor’s degree from Ouachita College in Arkadelphia, Arkansas in 1922. He received a master’s degree in 1925 and his doctorate in 1927 from the University of Iowa. He was elected President in 1933. Prior to his election as President in 1933, he taught chemistry at N.M.S.T.C.

Dr. Graham died suddenly on June 21, 1936 of complications following an operation for appendicitis. At the time of his unexpected death, Dr. Graham was one of the youngest college presidents in the U.S. Graham Gym, which was under construction and designed by John Gaw Meem, was named after Dr. Graham. Plans were also in the works to convert the old gymnasium in Fleming Hall into a library.

Dr. Haddon W. James was appointed President of New Mexico State Teachers College (renamed New Mexico Western College in 1949) by the Board of Regents on August 1, 1936. He became President less than a month and a half after the unexpected and untimely death of Dr. Graham, which left the college and many of its projects in limbo.

Dr. James initiated the Bus Driver’s Institute, a school safety program that was a vital program for the state of New Mexico.

During his tenure, Dr. James was instrumental in ensuring the construction of a new high school physically separate from the college, developing and supporting bilingual courses, completion of the new football stadium (Mustang Field, later named James Stadium).

Along with his wife Eunice, Dr. James purchased the Richard C. Eisele Collection of Prehistoric Artifacts by the Grant County Museum, Inc., (this collection was gifted in 1973 to the University, thereby creating the WNMU museum). Also, under construction was the Field House and the Elementary Laboratory School, which regained accreditation with the North Central Association. Dr. James supported the name change to New Mexico Western College.

Born in Big Rock, Illinois, Dr. James received his B.S. in Education from Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia in 1921 and his Ph.D. at the State University of Iowa in 1925.

From 1954-1958 he was an advisor under the Fulbright Scholarship Program to Pakistan and India to improve the secondary educational system in those countries.

J. Cloyd Miller head a B.S. from New Mexico College of Agriculture, a Mechanic Arts and an M.A. from the University of New Mexico. At the time of his selection as President of N.M.W.C., Miller had just completed a term as president of the National Education Association. Miller was a natural Presidential selection for the Regents, because of his knowledge of education in the state obtained from working for New Mexico’s public schools and as a superintendent, serving as President of the New Mexico Education Association, and teaching summer sessions at N.M.W.C.

During his tenure, the President’s home was built on the college campus, faculty salaries were increased by the trimming of budgets, rather than seeking a legislative appropriation, the teacher education program was strengthened, and a library, science building, and a men’s dormitory (named Eckles Hall after Isabel Eckles, who was the first graduate of N.M.N.S.) were built.

John H. Snedeker received his B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy from New York University and his Ph.D. in Psychology and Philosophy from Indiana Univiersity. Upon his selection as President in 1962, Dr. Snedeker followed the lead established by J. Cloyd Miller, the faculty and the Regents and increased academic admission requirements to the college in the spring of the same year.

Through his 18 years as President, Dr. Snedeker guided the campus through some changes in its physical appearance, academics and athletics. There was the construction of a new dorm, Eckles Hall, conversion of Bowden Hall from a men’s dorm to a women’s dorm, the removal of Enloe Hall to provide parking, modernization of Ritch and Bowden Halls, construction of the Fine Arts Complex (1965) and Regents Row houseing (1965), a new library addition, and installation of a campus marquee near the “The Cooler,” which was removed in 2010 and replaced with open space. In 1976, a new outdoor stadium was built on a hill off Highway 180 West. This stadium was named “James Stadium” in honor of former President Dr. Hadden James, and the old stadium, into which Brancheau Physical Education Complex built in 1978 extended, became known as “Old James Stadium.”

Dr. Snedeker continued to conduct research focused on attitudes and opinions measurement techniques during his presidency. He authored The Purdue Instructor Performance Guide.

President Snedeker resigned in early 1980 and went on to become the Director of the Chemical Dependency Program a the Ft. Bayard hospital. Dr. Snedeker passed away on August 6, 2010.

Robert E. Glennen Jr. came to WNMU from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas where he had served as its Vice-President. Dr. Glennen received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Languages and Education Administration from the University of Portland, Oregon, and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in counseling from the University of Nortre Dame in 1962.

Among his accomplishments at Western New Mexico University were the addition of majors in Geology, Sociology, Human Services, Speech, Computer Science and Medical Technology. He was instrumental in the creation of the WNMU Foundation to raise supplemental funds in support of the University, established the WNMU Gallup branch in 1981, Glaser Hall was built in 1981, and reorganized the University into five colleges. During his tenure, WNMU celebrated its 90th Anniversary (1983).

One of his more interesting outside activities was his service as a professional baseball scout for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1959-1971.

Dr. Glennen resigned from WNMU in the spring of 1984 to accept the position of President of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. Dr. Glennen passed away on December 1, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mervyn L. Cadwallader, Ph.D., was Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Wisconsin at Platteville when he was selected as President of WNMU in the fall of 1984. Dr. Cadwallader received his B.A. and M.A.in history from the University of Nebraska, and his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Oregon in 1958. Prior to his position as Vice Chancellor, Dr. Cadwallader was the founding dean of Evergreen College.

Dr. Cadwallader was one of the two founders of the Tutorials in Letters and Sciences Program at San Jose State. “Tutorials” was the groundwork for the Learning Communities movement he helped launch with Barbara Smith and Patrick Green. After leaving WNMU, Cadwallader went on to be Vice President of the Union Institute in Cincinnati in 1988 and thirteen years later left the Union Institute to become a consultant for the University of Phoenix in adult and graduate adult education.

Dr. Rudolph Gomez was selected as WNMU’s President on August 26, 1986. Prior to his tenure as President of WNMU, Dr. Gomez was vice president of administration at the University of Texas at San Antonio, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Memphis State University of Texas at San Antonio, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Memphis State University and the University of Denver, a Fulbright Professor of Political Science at the Pontifical Universidad Catolica del Peru in Lima, Peru, and an instructor and later an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Colorado College. He obtained a B.S. from Utah State University, an M.A. degree from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

During Dr. Gomez’s presidency, a small business assistant center was established at WNMU. In 1988, Miller Library increased its holdings in labor history in Grant County through a grant from the Local 890 Union, the university weathered state college program cuts and rumors of closing in 1988, the Co-op Program was developed enabling students to alternate a semester of class with a semester of work. The university became more student-oriented, student/faculty ratio was kept to a low (14-1), and the university’s scholarship base increased.

Dr. Gomez was born and raised in Rawlins, Wyoming and served in the United Nations Theater of Operations in Japan and Korea in the United States Air Force from 1950-1954.

Prior to being named President of WNMU in May 1990, Dr. Gallentine was the President of Peru State College (1982-1990), President of Labette Community College in Parsons, Kansas 1979-1982), an assistant professor of biology at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska, (1965-1968), among other educational and cultural leadership roles, including past president of the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Educational Television Council for Higher Education, twice past chairman of the Council of the Nebraska State College system.

Dr. Gallentine received a B.S. in Biology from Fort Hays State University, and a M.Ed. in Science Education, an M.S. in Biology, and a Ph.D. in Science Education from the University of Toledo. He is the author of a number of publications, including a biological science laboratory manual, editor of a text on genetics, and articles on instructional approaches in the biological sciences.

Dr. Gallentine’s leadership record during his presidency of Western New Mexico University was characterized by significant enrollment growth, program development, including the occupational therapy and nursing programs, regional service and development, celebration of WNMU’s Centennial in 1993, institutional development, open communication, and work in regional community and economic development.

Dr. Gallentine tendered his resignation of President in November 1993, to accept a position as President and C.E.O. of National American University. Dr. Gallentine served as the Chief Executive Office of NAU from 1993-2009, and became the President of National American University Holdsings, Inc. since November 23, 2009 and President of Camden Learning Corp.

Dr. John Counts became President of Western New Mexico University in December 1993 after serving for a month as acting president.

Before joining WNMU in 1992 as Division Director for Business, Math, and Computer Science, Dr. Counts retired at the rank of Colonel from the U.S. Army. During his almost 30 years of service, Dr. Counts served three combat tours, one in the Dominican Republic and two in Vietnam. In addition, he served in Germany for eight years, including 40 months as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Command in Berlin during the fall of the Berlin Wall. Among his stateside tours are three years on the staff of the Joint Chief of Staff in Washington and as Chief of Staff of the Army War College in Carlisle, PA.

Dr. Counts 18 year tenure as President was characterized by substantial institutional physical and growth through the addition of four new learning centers in Truth or Consequences, Deming, Lordsburg and Socorro; the creation of and enrollment explosion in online courses and the Virtual Campus; ITV delivery of courses, responsive educational retraining programming for laid off copper miners and other workers; construction of the Thomas B. McDonald Student Memorial Building; expansion of Miller Library; electrical and lighting renovation and installation of an elevator at the WNMU Museum (Fleming Hall); construction of the School of Nursing; renovation of Watts Hall into Adult Basic Education programs, construction of a new football field and athletic training facilities; renovations of the President’s home, Juan Chacon Building, Light Hall, and the renovation of the Chino Building which began in 2010.

Dr. Counts started the university’s quality journey in 1993 with TQM journey (Total Quality Management). After receiving QNM’s Roadrunner and Pinon Awards, WNMU received the Zia Award in 2003. WNMU was the first 4-year higher education institution to receive the Zia Award in the state of New Mexico.

Dr. Counts retired from Western New Mexico University on June 31, 2011.

The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents unanimously selected Dr. Joseph Shepard as the 15th President of WNMU on April 27, 2011.

At the time of his selection as WNMU President, Dr. Shepard was Vice President for Administrative Services and Finances at Florida Gulf State University (FGSU). During his 16 year tenure at FGSU, Dr. Shepard served in a variety of positions, including Assistant Dean of Student Services, Associate Dean of Student Services, Interim Dean of Student Affairs, and Dean of Student Affairs before his appointment as Vice President for Administrative Services and Finance in 2003.

Prior to joining FGSU, Dr. Shepard served as a faculty member at Lutgert College of Business and a Colegio Americano de Torreon Mexico. He earned an undergraduate degree at Northern Arizona University, an MBA from the University of North Texas, and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Florida International University.

Upon his appointment, Dr. Shepard said, “I am very excited to be joining the Western New Mexico University family. The University is truly a treasure amongst institutions of higher learning as it focuses on student success and service to its region and population. I look forward to leading such a vibrant university as it fulfills its mission of education for the many New Mexican citizens that otherwise would not have such access to higher education.”