Thomas Atcitty
3rd President of the Navajo Nation
In office
February 19, 1998 – July 23, 1998
Vice PresidentMilton Bluehouse Sr.
Preceded byAlbert Hale
Succeeded byMilton Bluehouse Sr.
2nd Vice President of the Navajo Nation
In office
November 1, 1995 – February 19, 1998
PresidentAlbert Hale
Preceded byMarshall Plummer
Succeeded byMilton Bluehouse Sr.
Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives
from the 4th district
In office
1981–1995
Personal details
Born(1933-11-01)November 1, 1933
Shiprock, Navajo Nation, New Mexico, U.S.
DiedOctober 11, 2020(2020-10-11) (aged 86)
Shiprock, Navajo Nation, New Mexico, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationTaylor University
University of Colorado, Boulder
Gannon University

Thomas Atcitty (November 1, 1933 – October 11, 2020) was an American politician and educator who served in the New Mexico House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party, 2nd Vice President of the Navajo Nation, and briefly served as the 3rd President of the Navajo Nation. He was a member of the Navajo Nation.

Early life

Thomas Atcitty was born on November 1, 1933[1] in Shiprock.[2] Atcitty graduated from Navajo Mission High School in 1954, and attended Taylor University, the University of Colorado, and Gannon University. He served in the United States Marine Corps.[3][4]

Career

Education

Atcitty served as the vice-president of the Navajo Community College during the 1970s after starting to work at the college in 1969. On October 16, 1972, President Ned Hatathli died when he shot himself while cleaning his rifle causing Atcitty to become acting president. Atcitty was selected to replace Hatathli on December 4, and later became the official third president of the college on February 8, 1973.[5][3][6][7] He served as president of the college until his resignation made effective March 1, 1977.[2][8]

Politics

Atcitty was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 4th district as a member of the Democratic Party and served until his resignation in January 1995.[2][9] During his tenure in the New Mexico House of Representatives he served as the chairman of the Consumer and Public Affairs committee.[10] Atcitty also served as the co-chairman of the Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives alongside Felix Nunez.[11]

Atcitty served as Albert Hale's vice-presidential running mate during the 1994 Navajo Nation presidential election and they won defeating incumbent President Peterson Zah.[12] He resigned from the House of Representatives to become the Vice President of the Navajo Nation.[2] During his vice-presidency he sought the pardon of Peter MacDonald by President Bill Clinton.[13] On February 18, 1998, President Hale resigned to avoid criminal prosecution causing Atcitty to become President of the Navajo Nation, but he only served until he was removed by the Navajo Nation Council on July 23, 1998, for violating ethic codes.[2] During his tenure as president he was given the Medgar Evers Award by the NAACP.[14]

Death

Atcitty died from natural causes on October 11, 2020, at age 86.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Former Navajo Nation President Thomas Atcitty dies at 86". KNXV-TV. October 14, 2020. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Former Navajo leader, NM state representative Thomas Atcitty dead at 86". Farmington Daily Times. October 14, 2020. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "Regents Name New President". Clovis News Journal. December 10, 1972. p. 7. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Staff, Native News Online (15 October 2020). "Navajo Nation Mourns Loss of Former President Thomas Atcitty". Native News Online.
  5. ↑ "Atcitty Is Acting NCC President". Gallup Independent. October 18, 1972. p. 1. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Ceremony Planned". Alamogordo Daily News. January 14, 1973. p. 14. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "NCC To Install President Today". Albuquerque Journal. April 12, 1973. p. 16. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Navajo college president quits at request of school's regents". The Arizona Republic. February 16, 1977. p. 28. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Most Solons Get Free Ride". Carlsbad Current-Argus. November 4, 1980. p. 3. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Chairman". Albuquerque Journal. January 21, 1983. p. 6. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Co-chairman". Deming Headlight. January 18, 1985. p. 7. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Hale wants Clinton to free MacDonald". Arizona Daily Sun. November 10, 1994. p. 3. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "MacDonald pardon sought". Arizona Daily Star. July 1, 1996. p. 2. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "MacDonald pardon sought". The Santa Fe New Mexican. March 27, 1998. p. 6. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
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