William C. McDonald (governor)
{{Short description|1st Governor of New Mexico}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name= William C. McDonald
|image=William C. McDonald (1912).jpg
|caption=
|order=1st
|office= Governor of New Mexico
|term_start=January 6, 1912
|term_end=January 1, 1917
|lieutenant=Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca
|predecessor=William J. Mills
as Territorial Governor
|successor=Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca
|birth_date={{birth date|1858|7|25|mf=y}}
|birth_place=Jordanville, New York, U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1918|4|11|1858|7|25}}
|death_place=El Paso, Texas, U.S.
|spouse=Francis McCourt
|profession=
|residence=White Oaks
|party= Democratic
|signature= Signature of William Calhoun McDonald (1858–1918).png
|footnotes=
}}
William Calhoun McDonald (July 25, 1858 – April 11, 1918) was an American politician, and the first governor of the State of New Mexico.
Biography
McDonald was born in Jordanville, New York, and was raised in New York. He attended Cazenovia Seminary. In New York, he studied law and taught primary school.{{cite web| url= http://www.newmexicohistory.org/filedetails.php?fileID=460|title= McDonald, William Calhoun |publisher= New Mexico State Record Center and Archives|access-date=July 14, 2012}}
Career
In 1878, McDonald moved to Fort Scott, Kansas, where he served as an apprentice at the law offices of Joseph S. Lorrence. He was admitted to the bar in 1880. That same year, McDonald moved to White Oaks, Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory. Staking out mining claims and working as a mineral surveyor, he managed and later purchased the Carrizozo Cattle Ranch Company. He became a United States deputy mineral surveyor for New Mexico in 1881, and became active in Democratic politics.
McDonald was Lincoln County Assessor from 1885 to 1887. In 1891, he was a member of the New Mexico Territorial House of Representatives. He married Francis J. McCourt on August 31, 1891.{{cite web|title=William C. McDonald|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/mcdonald.html|publisher=The Political Graveyard|access-date=October 9, 2012}} The couple had five children. He chaired the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners from 1895 to 1897. A member of the New Mexico Cattle Sanitary Board from 1905 to 1911, he also chaired the 1910 Democratic Territorial Central Committee.
Securing the Democratic nomination, McDonald was elected the first Governor of the state of New Mexico on November 7, 1911.{{cite web|title=William C. McDonald|url=http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_new_mexico/col2-content/main-content-list/title_mcdonald_william.html|publisher=National Governors Association|access-date=October 9, 2012}} During his tenure, various laws affecting working conditions were passed,[https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/labor-legislation-1912-32-3905/labor-legislation-1912-476850 Title: Labor Legislation of 1912 : Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 111, P.158-168][https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/labor-legislation-1912-32-3905/labor-legislation-1915-476852 Title: Labor Legislation of 1915 : Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 186, P.249-250] the state's government was structured, and raids by Mexican bandits were dealt with.
After his governorship, McDonald was appointed and served as New Mexico Fuel Administrator, an office he held until his death.
Death
McDonald died in El Paso, Texas on April 11, 1918, and is interred at Cedarvale Cemetery in White Oaks.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/el-paso-herald-gov-mdonald-expires-her/158639320/ |title=Gov. M'Donald Expires Here; Fights Disease to the End |newspaper=El Paso Herald |page=1 |date=1918-04-11 |access-date=2024-11-07 |via=Newspapers.com}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_new_mexico/col2-content/main-content-list/title_mcdonald_william.html National Governors Association]
- [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/mcdonald.html The Political Graveyard]
{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-new|first}}
{{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for Governor of New Mexico|years=1911}}
{{s-aft|after=Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box
|before=William J. Mills
Territorial Governor
|title=Governor of New Mexico
|years=1912–1917
|after=Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca}}
{{s-end}}
{{Governors of New Mexico}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, William C.}}
Category:People from Herkimer County, New York
Category:Politicians from Fort Scott, Kansas
Category:Members of the New Mexico Territorial Legislature
Category:Democratic Party governors of New Mexico
Category:20th-century New Mexico politicians