Clyde K. Tingley was a
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politicianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as the
11th Governor of the State of
New MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. He was a children's healthcare advocate.
Biography
Tingley was born on a farm near
London, OhioLondon is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Ohio, United States. Located about southwest of the Ohio capital of Columbus, London was established in 1811 to serve as the county seat. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,771, an increase from 7,807 in 1990. It is the...
. He lived a modest life of farming. His wife Carrie was a
tuberculosisTuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
patient, who was told that the climate in
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
would eventually kill her. Her doctors prescribed visiting or moving to the warmer climate of the Southwest, and suggested the Methodist Sanitarium in
Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
.
Mr. and Mrs. Tingley left Ohio in 1910 for
New MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. While his wife recovered, Clyde dabbled in local politics. He moved just in time to witness the admittance of New Mexico as a state, and almost immediately he was alarmed over how the dominant Republican Party ran the State.
Tingley's first political positions were in the Albuquerque City Commission (later known as the City Council) as
aldermanAn alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
(1912-1920). He later served as district maintenance superintendent of the New Mexico State Highway Department for the Albuquerque district (1925-1926). He was also a delegate to the
Democratic National ConventionThe Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
s of (1928, 1932, and 1936). Through this entire period, his wife's illness was at his heart, and he was an outspoken advocate for healthcare - particularly for children.
Tingley was handily elected Governor of New Mexico in 1934 as a proponent of Franklin Roosevelt's
New DealThe New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
programs. During this time, he set up over a dozen hospitals in the state, including the Carrie Tingley Hospital in honor of his wife, to help children with tuberculosis. He was re-elected in 1936 and became the first Governor of New Mexico to serve two consecutive full terms. (His predecessor,
Arthur SeligmanArthur Seligman was an American businessman and politician.Seligman was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory, the son of Bernard and Frances Seligman. In 1887, Seligman graduated from the Southmore College Preparatory School in Pennsylvania, and from Pierce's College of Business in Philadelphia...
, died during his second term.) In 1938 he successfully resurrected the defunct
New Mexico State FairThe New Mexico State Fair is an annual state fair held for 17 days in September at Expo New Mexico in the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A...
by breaking ground at the Fairgrounds. The center of the Fairgrounds,
Tingley ColiseumThe Tingley Coliseum is an 11,571-seat multi-purpose arena in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Originally built as a rodeo and horse show auditorium, it is located at 300 San Pedro Drive N.E....
, is named for him.
As governor, Tingley continued his predecessor's practice of systematically recording the political affiliation of applicants for federal aid, stating that "only by returning a solid Democratic front can New Mexico get its full share of the money to be distributed by the federal government in the next two years" .
After the end of his tenure as Governor, he was elected chairman of the Albuquerque City Commission (1940-1953), a position later known as Mayor of Albuquerque. Tingley was responsible for the local introduction and widespread planting of the
Siberian ElmUlmus pumila, the Siberian Elm, is native to Central Asia, eastern Siberia, Mongolia, Xizang , northern China, India and Korea . It is also known as the Asiatic Elm, Dwarf Elm and Chinese Elm. Two varieties are recognized: var pumila and var. arborea, the latter known as Turkestan elm...
(Ulmus pumila) throughout the city of Albuquerque. At the time of pollination, the tree distributes voluminous amounts of
granular chaffeA samara is a type of fruit in which a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue develops from the ovary wall. A samara is a simple dry fruit and indehiscent . It is a winged achene...
, which has come to be known as Tingley's Dandruff.
Tingley died in
AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
at the age of 78. He is interred at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque.