Glenn L. Emmons, Gallup, New Mexico, today nominated by President Eisenhower to be Commissioner of Indian Affairs, is 570 He was born at Atmore, Alabama in 1895. His family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he attended public school and the University of New Mexico, leaving the University in 1917 for military service. He was a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps.
Discharged from the Army in 1929, he went to Gallup, New Mexico, to enter the banking business in which he has continued until now.
He has had extensive contacts with the Indians in that area. There are 75,000 Indians in the Navajo tribe alone, and perhaps another 15,000 in other tribes in the immediate area, Gallup is known as the Indian capital of the southwest. Among the other tribes in that area are the Hopis, Lagunas, Zunis, Apaches, Utes, and Pueblos.
In keeping with President Eisenhower’s campaign pledge to confer with the Indians on the appointment of an Indian Commissioner, Orme Lewis, Assistant Secretary of the Interior has conferred with about 150 different groups of Indians representing about 75% of the Indians with whom the Bureau of Indian Affairs has any business. He has been holding these conferences almost daily for four months.
The selection of Mr. Emmons followed the withdrawal of Alva Simpson, Jr., of Santa Fe State Welfare Director of New Mexico, who asked that his name be not given serious consideration, due to the pressure of his own activities in his own State. Mr. Simpson had been loyally supported by groups of friends in that area. Prior to announcement of Mr. Emmons nomination, Secretary McKay received the following telegram from Gov. Edwin L. Mechem of New Mexico:
"Please stop consideration of Alva Simpson's name as Indian Commissioner. As director of New Mexico's welfare department he has assumed additional important duties and greater responsibility with proportionate salary increase. He is most valuable to New Mexico and we need him here."
