Nationally acclaimed author and long-time UNM faculty member Tony Hillerman died in Albuquerque on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 83 years of age.
Photo: Tony Hillerman joined the UNM journalism faculty in 1965 after receiving his M.A. He taught until 1987, serving as department chair from 1966-74.
Early Years
Hillerman was born in Sacred Heart, Okla. on May 27, 1925. His early education was at St. Mary’s Academy, a boarding school for Native American girls at Sacred Heart. He was one of several farm boys enrolled there. Sacred Heart was near a Benedictine mission to the Citizen Band Potowatomie Tribe. For high school, he was bused to Konawa High School. He graduated in 1942.
In 1943, he joined the U. S. Army, serving in combat in World War II. He was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Purple Heart after being wounded in 1945. His injuries included broken legs, foot, ankle, facial burns and temporary blindness. He was discharged in 1945. After the war, he attended the University of Oklahoma, receiving a B. A. in 1948.
He worked as a newspaper reporter in Texas and Oklahoma until he became UPI’s Santa Fe Bureau Manager in 1952. In 1954 he joined the staff of the New Mexican as a political reporter and later became an editor.
Hillerman the Professor
In 1963, he came to graduate school in English at the University of New Mexico. He was an assistant to University President Thomas Popejoy at the same time. He joined the UNM journalism faculty in 1965 after receiving his M.A. He taught until 1987, serving as department chair from 1966-74.
Taking a leave from teaching, he served as assistant to President William “Bud” Davis, 1975-77. During that period he worked to establish Faculty Senate and helped Davis sort out Lobogate, an athletic department scandal.
Hillerman the Author
Hillerman is widely known for his work as a novelist, particularly for his best-selling Navajo detective series of books. Four of them have been made into movies—The Dark Wind, Skinwalkers, Coyote Waits and A Thief of Time.
He is past president of the Mystery Writers of America and has received their Edgar and Grand Master writing awards. Among other honors, he received the Center for the American Indian’s Ambassador Award, the Silver Spur Award for the best novel set in the West, and the Navajo Tribe’s Special Friend Award. He received an honorary doctorate from the UNM Regents in 1990.
His memoirs, published in 2001, won the Agatha Award for Best Non-Fiction.
UNM President David Schmidly said, “Tony Hillerman taught at UNM for several decades, leaving a lasting impression on generations of student authors and student journalists. He has enriched this university and this state for all time.”
Hillerman as Colleague, Author
David Dunaway, professor of English and author of the award-winning book and radio series “Writing the Southwest,” said, “Hillerman has introduced America to our region in a way that respects its ancient roots and cultures. New Mexico is going to be just a little bit dimmer for his passing. He was a friend, colleague, and my inspiration when I wrote ‘Writing the Southwest.’” The 2003 edition, published by UNM Press, includes an interview from him, Dunaway added.
“He was always open and forthcoming as he has been for so many young writers. He had a habit of caring for the underdog and those writers ready to make a sacrifice for their craft,” Dunaway said.
“Hillerman was there when I suggested a program in professional writing at UNM. He was beloved by his students who took great inspiration from his writing habits and his powerful characterization and sense of place,” Dunaway said. He added that he would like to see a graduate fellowship in writing established in Hillerman’s name in both the Department of English and Communication & Journalism.
Dunaway said that Hillerman once told him that to understand New Mexico one has to understand the Colorado Plateau and the people who have lived here for so many years. “He said that what made New Mexico distinct was how small the built environment is compared to the vast spDavid Brookshire around it. His gift to the nation was the respect that he offered and encouraged us to share for the tribal communities that make New Mexico distinct and great.”
Hillerman as Mentor
Frank D. Martinez, former UNM director of Public Affairs, now Communication and Marketing, was a student of Hillerman’s.
“When I was a student, Hillerman was chair of the journalism department. I had several classes with him. He was an inspiring professor, genuine, down to earth and related well with everyone. He knew his subject matter and was as effective as anyone in the classroom. There was no one more qualified to teach writing at any level. He was also a master editor,” Martinez recalled.
He added that Hillerman helped him get a job at the Santa Fe New Mexican when he graduated from college in 1970. “I owe him a debt of gratitude for going the extra mile for me, something he did for other people, as well,” Martinez said.
Memorial Service
A funeral mass for Tony Hillerman is set for Friday, Oct. 31, at 10:30 a.m., at Our Lady of the Annunciation, Claremont and Vermont Streets NE, with a vigil service on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m., also at the church. Private interment will take place at Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, NM.
Memorial contributions may be made to Catholic Charities, 6001 Marble NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110; Saint Bonaventure Indian Mission and School, P.O. Box 610, Thoreau, NM 87323-0610; or the charity of one’s choice.
Photo: Courtesy of UNM Archives, University Libraries
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu