New Mexico State University President Garrey Carruthers was part of the inaugural class of honorees inducted into the Aztec Schools Hall of Honor last week in Aztec, N.M. Carruthers graduated from Aztec High School in 1957.
"I was pleased to be one of the first five inductees into the Aztec Schools Hall of Honor during their Homecoming weekend," Carruthers said. "It was my first-ever Homecoming game at Aztec and I was reminded of how important high school athletics are to our communities around New Mexico."
The Aztec Schools Hall of Honor recognizes Aztec Municipal School District alumni and staff who have distinguished themselves in their fields of work and study, or by service to their community. The district hopes honoring these individuals will inspire current students in their areas of study as well as extra-curricular activities.
While attending Aztec High School, Carruthers was FFA state president and AHS student body president and participated in baseball. He graduated with honors, ranking fourth in his class.
After high school, Carruthers earned his bachelor's degree in agriculture and a master's in agricultural economics from NMSU. He received a Ph.D. in economics from Iowa State University and later joined the NMSU faculty in 1968 in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business.
Carruthers was elected governor of New Mexico in 1987. He also served as a White House fellow assigned to the Secretary of Agriculture and as the assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. After politics, Carruthers served as president and CEO of a successful managed care company.
He became dean of the NMSU College of Business in 2003, also serving as the university's vice president for economic development and director of the Pete V. Domenici Institute. In 2013, he became the 27th president of New Mexico State University.
He and his wife, Kathy, have been married for more than 53 years. They have three children and six grandchildren.