Representative Antonio Manuel Fernández

Antonio Manuel Fernández (January 17, 1902 – November 7, 1956) was a United States Representative from New Mexico, elected as a Democrat to seven consecutive terms in Congress from 1942 to 1956 and serving from January 3, 1943, until his death. Over the course of these seven terms, he represented the interests of his New Mexico constituents and contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, spanning World War II, the immediate postwar era, and the early years of the Cold War.

Fernández was born on January 17, 1902, in Springer, Colfax County, New Mexico. He attended the public schools in Springer and went on to pursue higher education at Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Seeking professional training in the law, he received legal education at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. This combination of local schooling and formal legal study prepared him for a career in public service and the practice of law in his home state.

After completing his legal training, Fernández began his professional career in the judicial system of New Mexico. He served as a court reporter for the eighth judicial district of New Mexico from 1925 to 1930, gaining firsthand experience with courtroom procedure and the administration of justice. He was admitted to the bar in 1931 and commenced the practice of law in Raton, New Mexico. In 1933 he became assistant district attorney of the eighth judicial district, further solidifying his role in the legal affairs of the region. By 1934 he had moved his law practice to Santa Fe, New Mexico, positioning himself at the center of the state’s political and governmental life.

Fernández’s formal political career began in state government. He served in the New Mexico House of Representatives in 1935, marking his entry into elective office. That same year he was appointed chief tax attorney for the New Mexico Tax Commission, a position he held in 1935 and 1936, where he dealt with issues of state revenue and taxation. From 1937 to 1941 he served as first assistant attorney general of New Mexico, playing a key role in the state’s legal affairs. In 1941 and 1942 he was a member of the first New Mexico Public Service Commission, participating in the oversight and regulation of public utilities and services at a time when the state was modernizing its infrastructure.

Building on this record of state and legal service, Fernández was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-eighth Congress and to the six succeeding Congresses, representing New Mexico in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 3, 1943, until his death on November 7, 1956. His tenure in Congress thus extended from the 78th through the 84th Congresses, and he had been reelected to the 85th Congress shortly before his death. During these seven terms in office, he participated in the democratic process at the national level, working on legislation and representing the concerns of his constituents during an era marked by global conflict, postwar reconstruction, and domestic economic change. In the Seventy-ninth Congress he served as chairman of the Committee on Memorials, reflecting his involvement in the committee structure of the House and in matters related to national commemoration.

Soon after being reelected to the 85th Congress, Fernández died in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on November 7, 1956, one day after the election. His death brought an end to more than a decade of continuous congressional service and a longer career in New Mexico public life that had included legislative, regulatory, and legal responsibilities. He was buried in Rosario Catholic Cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His career places him among the notable Hispanic and Latino Americans who have served in the United States Congress and among those members of Congress who died in office in the mid-twentieth century.