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James B. Lewis Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-619-BC

Scope and Content

The James B. Lewis Papers include correspondence, legislation and proposed legislation, campaign materials, annual reports, conference programs, invitations, course work, calendars, and speeches from Lewis' public career as Bernalillo County treasurer, treasurer of the state of New Mexico, and chief of staff to Governor Bruce King. The ten boxes comprising the collection are arranged chronologically, although box 4 contains calendars and telephone messages from 1986-1992.

Box 1 contains materials relating to Lewis' earlier professional career. This box includes course work and notes from his tenure as a student at the National College of Business, as well as papers relating to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and papers pertaining to Lewis' term as Bernalillo County treasurer.

Boxes 2-7 cover the years, 1986-1990, focusing on Lewis' campaign, election, and work as treasurer for the State of New Mexico. There is a significant amount of material relating to the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA), as well as correspondence files of David W. King, Lewis' deputy treasurer.

Boxes 8 and 9 contain materials associated with Lewis' position as chief of staff to Governor Bruce King. Box 10 is comprised almost exclusively of correspondence from 1993, including invitations to meetings, conferences, and fundraisers.

The small number of photographs from this collection have been transferred to the Center for Southwest Research Photoarchives.

Dates

  • 1975-1994

Creator

Language of Materials

English.

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Copy Restrictions

Limited duplication of CSWR material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.

Biographical Information

James B. Lewis was born in Roswell, N.M. on November 30, 1947. He attended public school in Albuquerque and Gallup. In 1970 he graduated with a B.S. degree in education from Bishop College in Dallas, Texas. Later he went on to earn a B.S. in business administration from the National College of Business in Albuquerque and an M.A. in public administration from the University of New Mexico.

Lewis applied his education to a career in government management and finance. He worked as a personnel counselor and administrator at the University of Albuquerque, and as an investigator with the Bernalillo County District Attorney's office. In 1982 he was elected treasurer of Bernalillo County. While holding that office he inaugurated many reforms including the use of microcomputers to manage the county's investment portfolios.

Committed to efficiency and productivity in government, Lewis began serving in state government in 1985 when he was appointed New Mexico state treasurer. Elected to that position in 1986, Lewis, a Democrat, received more votes than any other state-wide candidate on the ballot that year. In 1990, Governor Bruce King appointed Lewis as his chief of staff. After Bruce King's defeat in the election of 1994, Lewis served four months as acting director of the Oil, Gas, and Minerals Division of the State Land Office. In April 1995, he was appointed chief clerk of the State Corporation Commission. The next year he left state government to begin serving an appointment as city administrator (city manager) of Rio Rancho, N.M. in February 1996.

Interested in community issues and professional matters as well as politics, Lewis has been an active member of a number of organizations including the NAACP and the National Association of Black Accountants.

Extent

10 boxes (10 cu. ft.)

Separated Material

The small number of photographs from this collection have been transferred to the James B. Lewis Photograph Collection.

Processing Information

Materials added to collection in May 2010. A note to this effect has been inserted in the contents list for specific folders that have had materials added to them.
Title
Finding Aid of the James B. Lewis Papers, 1975-1994
Status
For Approval
Author
Processed by M. LaCroix
Date
©2000
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is in English

Revision Statements

  • June 28, 2004: PUBLIC "-//University of New Mexico::Center for Southwest Research//TEXT (US::NmU::MSS 619 BC::James B. Lewis Papers)//EN" "nmu1mss619bc.sgml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).
  • Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451