Shirley M. (née Collier) Hooper-Garcia (November 5, 1935 – October 24, 2014) was an American politician who served as the 18th

New Mexico Secretary of State The secretary of state of New Mexico is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of New Mexico. Twenty-six individuals have held the office of secretary of state since statehood. Since 1923, every elected N ...

Early life and education

Born in Meadow, Texas, Hooper moved to

Lovington, New Mexico Lovington is a city in and the county seat of Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 11,009 at the 2010 census, up from 9,471 in 2000. Geography Lovington is located slightly north of the center of Lea County. According to ...

with her family in 1939. She graduated from Lovington High School in 1953 and then from the New Mexico Real Estate Institute. She also attended

New Mexico Junior College New Mexico Junior College (NMJC) is a public junior college in unincorporated Lea County, New Mexico, near Hobbs. History and campus New Mexico Junior College first opened in the fall of 1966, with a current enrollment of 3,375. The campus ...

in 1989.

Career

Hooper served as secretary of the speaker of the

New Mexico House of Representatives The New Mexico House of Representatives () is the lower house of the New Mexico State Legislature. There are 70 members of the House. Each member represents roughly 25,980 residents of New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the South ...

and was assistant chief clerk. Hooper was legal secretary to two judges of the New Mexico Court of Appeals. In 1988, she was elected clerk of

Lea County, New Mexico Lea County (, ) is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, its population was 74,455. Its county seat is Lovington. It is both west and north of the Texas state line. Lea County comprises the Hobbs, NM micro ...

. Hooper served as the

Secretary of State of New Mexico The secretary of state of New Mexico is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of New Mexico. Twenty-six individuals have held the office of secretary of state since statehood. Since 1923, every elected ...

from 1979 to 1982.

Death

Hooper died at her home in

Roswell, New Mexico Roswell () is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County, New Mexico, Chaves County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,422 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fi ...

References

1935 births 2014 deaths People from Lovington, New Mexico Politicians from Roswell, New Mexico People from Terry County, Texas New Mexico Junior College alumni New Mexico Democrats County clerks in New Mexico Women in New Mexico politics Secretaries of state of New Mexico 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century American women 20th-century New Mexico politicians {{NewMexico-politician-stub