Sam Pick

Samuel W. Pick (born 1936) is an American businessman and politician. He served as the mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico from 1976 to 1978 and again from 1986 to 1994.

Early life and education

A Santa Fe native, Pick was born into a Jewish family, the son of Austrian immigrant Emil Pick and German immigrant Elizabeth Schultz. His mother had been first married to Emil's brother, Henry Pick, Sr., who was killed in a never-solved 1934 robbery-murder while transporting money to his general store in Tererro, New Mexico. After the murder, Elizabeth married Henry's brother, Emil. In 1936, the year of Sam's birth, the family bought the White Swan laundry in Santa Fe. Pick attended the New Mexico Military Institute and the University of New Mexico, from which he received a bachelor's degree in 1958. He served in the United States Army, and worked in the family business until he sold his interest to his older half-brother, Henry, in 1984.Ana Pacheco
"A wonderful life: Community service close to Henry Pick's heart"
'' The Santa Fe New Mexican'', January 8, 2011.Robert Nott
"Former mayor, brother to be honored as Living Treasures"
'' The Santa Fe New Mexican'', June 21, 2015."Public passions: What the mayoral candidates care about most"
'' Santa Fe Reporter'', January 17, 1990, p. 11 - via Newspapers.com .

Career

Pick was a member of the Santa Fe City Council from 1970 until 1976, when he was appointed mayor, succeeding Joe Valdes, and served for two years. He was elected mayor in 1986 and re-elected for a second term in 1990. He became known as a highly visible advocate for tourism and development in the city, and for his extensive travel appearances promoting the city, including a "Santa Fe" brand cologne sold by the Shulton perfume company. In 1987, the United States Conference of Mayors selected Santa Fe as the nation's most-livable city with a population under 100,000, and cited Pick for his support of a percent for art ordinance to provide funding for public art as part of new construction projects.

Pick's successor, Debbie Jaramillo, was elected in 1994 on a platform opposing Pick's pro-business policies, and promising to emphasize the interests of local residents and neighborhoods.Chris Wilson, ''The Myth of Santa Fe'' ( University of New Mexico Press, 1997), , p. 165
excerpt available
at Google Books). In 1998, Pick ran for mayor again in opposition to Jaramillo's bid for re-election. He finished second, well ahead of Jaramillo, but behind the winner, Larry Delgado, who was seen as a centrist between Pick and Jaramillo.Andrew Leo Lovato, ''Santa Fe Hispanic Culture: Preserving Identity in a Tourist Town'' ( University of New Mexico Press, 2006), , pp. 109ff
excerpt available
at Google Books).

Pick has remained a visible presence in Santa Fe's political and business community. He strongly opposed a 2013 proposal to make Santa Fe's mayor a full-time "strong mayor" position.Joey Peters
"'Don't Tell Me How To Brush My Teeth!' Former mayor Sam Pick hyperbolically takes down 'strong mayor' proposal."
'' Santa Fe Reporter'', December 5, 2013.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pick, Sam
Mayors of Santa Fe, New Mexico
1936 births
Living people
Jewish mayors of populated places in the United States
Jewish American people in New Mexico politics
University of New Mexico alumni
American people of Austrian-Jewish descent
American people of German-Jewish descent
New Mexico city council members
21st-century American Jews