Holm Olaf Bursum
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Holm Olaf Bursum (1867-1953). Norwegian-American statesman, whose activities were instrumental in gaining statehood for New Mexico under the Taft Administration. Senator from New Mexico.
Early life
Bursum was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa on February 10, 1867 to Norwegian immigrant parents. Orphaned at the age of twelve, Bursum sought employment out west. He first found it in Denver, Colorado, but later, in 1882, moved to San Antonio, New Mexico (about ten miles from Socorro) where he worked as a clerk in a store for his uncle, A.H. Hilton, the father of hotel mogul Conrad Hilton.He attended night school in San Antonio, and an avid reader, became one of the best informed men in public life in the Southwest. Soon Bursum went into business for himself, hauling supplies to Fort Wingate which was at the time, an active military post. Later he became a subcontractor for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, which was being completed from Albuquerque to the west coast. The earnings from this endeavor provided a financial foundation upon which he built his large sheep and cattle business in the New Mexico Territory.
Political career
Bursum was active in territorial politics. He served as Sheriff of Socorro County from 1894-1898. From 1899-1900, Bursum served as a member of the Territorial Senate and was chairman of the Appropriations and Finance Committee. In 1899, he was also appointed as the Superintendent of the New Mexico State Penitentiary where he worked for seven years. In 1906, he became the Mayor of Socorro and worked for passage of a law that allowed the city to grant deeds to persons who established ownership to their property. Bursum was also chairman of the Republican Territorial Central Committee from 1905-1911 and represented New Mexico at the Republican National Conventions in 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1928. As a delegate to the 1908 convention, Bursum was largely responsible for the Republican plank advocating statehood for New Mexico. In 1910, Bursum became a delegate of the New Mexico Constitutional Convention helping frame the first state constitution. Bursum ran for the office of governor of New Mexico in 1911 and 1916 but was defeated both times. In 1919, he became a member of the Republican National Committee and served for two years. A fluent and compelling speaker in both Spanish and English, and an effective campaigner, Bursum was one of the most influential members of the Republican Party during the later Territorial days.In 1921, Bursum was appointed to fill the United States Senate seat of Albert Fall who had become the Secretary of the Interior for the Harding administration. He took his seat April 11, 1921 and served until 1925, losing a bid for re-election in 1924 against Sam G. Bratton. As a Senator, Bursum headed the Senate Committee on Pensions and was an advocate for the equitable treatment of disabled military personnel, servicemen, and war widows. The 1924 edition of the Congressional Directory lists him as a member of the Pension Committee; the Irrigation and Reclamation Committee; the Military Affairs Committee; the Privileges and Elections Committee; and the Public Lands and Survey Committee.
Bursum was an active legislator during his short time in the Senate. He supported legislation for high tariffs as well as financial relief for the agricultural and livestock industries. His efforts with the War Finance Corporation during 1921-1922 brought several million dollars to stockmen in New Mexico. Bursum was opposed to the League of Nations, the Permanent Court of International Justice, and the Versailles Treaty because he wanted to avoid international entanglements. However, Bursum argued for the immediate recognition of the government of Obregon in Mexico after the Mexican Revolution and played a part in the negotiations between the two countries. His most controversial legislation was a failed attempt to pass the Indian Lands Bill, more commonly known as the Bursum Bill, that would have reduced the size of Pueblo Indian land holdings in New Mexico by giving some disputed lands to non-Indian claimants, and by establishing permanent boundaries between Indian and non-Indian lands. The bill was defeated in 1922. Throughout his political career, Bursum proved to be a masterful politician utilizing his influence to impact public policy.
Family and non-political career
In addition to his public service, Bursum was always involved in the livestock industry, owning and running his own successful sheep and cattle ranches near Socorro, New Mexico. He was an organizer and executive board member of the New Mexico Wool Growers Association and worked towards the development of the industry. After fifty years as a stockman he retired and left the Bursum Company ranch to his son, Holm O. Bursum Jr. Other business interests include mining, the Rio Grande Supply Company, and the Anglo-Mexican Development Corporation.Holm Olaf Bursum married Lulu M. Moore on August 3, 1898, in Silver City, New Mexico. She was the daughter of a ranch family from Grant County. Mrs. Bursum worked in the family businesses and also served on the Board of Regents at the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts from 1935-1940. The Bursums had four children including Holm Otto Bursum, Ruth Mildred Bursum Harban, Claire Bursum Pippen, and Betty Kathryn Bursum Taylor. The family home was located in Socorro. Mr. Bursum also served on the Executive Board of the Presbyterian Church of Socorro for many years and as a Master Mason with a lifetime membership in Socorro lodge.
Mr. Bursum died in Colorado Springs, Colorado on August 7, 1953 at the age of eighty-six.
Bursum is also a source for satire in Thomas King's novel, Green Grass Running Water. The character of Bill Bursum alludes to Bursum's attempt to pass his infamous "Bursum Bill." In the novel, Bill Bursum owns an electronic store and is a great fan of Westerns that feature the slaughter of Native Americans.
Name confusion
Holm Bursum's name can either be spelled Bursum or Bursom. The name is pronounced Ber-sum.|- style="text-align: center;"
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