Nuevo Mexico Profundo Interview Series: Mac Watson

This subject is near and dear to many of us, especially at the Historic Santa Fe Foundation. Mac Watson is a consummate professional in the field of preservation, and our former Chair of the Foundation Board. He is a native of Santa Fe and the interview covers growing up here, his life and work, and thoughts on the future of preservation. This is well worth a listen from a well respected member of this community.

Mac has added this written note to his audio discussion:

After listening to the recording of my conversation with Frank Graziano I became concerned that, in response to Frank’s questions about my experiences growing up in Santa Fe and about my relations with Hispanic children in particular, I may have presented a completely negative story. I spoke about a few experiences when I was subject to aggression at the hands of small gangs of Hispanic kids, mainly because those moments are at the surface of my memory and recalled without effort.  What I failed to mention are the many Hispanic friends I had throughout my time in public school here in Santa Fe, from the 4th grade and until I left after the 10th grade to attend school on Colorado.

As one might expect, most but not all of these friendships were with boys. When I started the 4th grade I knew not a soul in the school so Rudy Rios, whose desk was next to mine soon became my “best friend.” We have remained friends over all the years that have passed and I became close to many in his family--his parents, his younger brother  León, his sisters Cecilia and Rita, and Rudy’s nephew Juan. Before the Covid struck, one of my favorite pastimes was to join the Rios family in the family home on Camino del Monte Sol for their regular family lunch.

Several of my friendships were made with kids who were in the both in the junior high and high school bands with me. These include the brothers Donald and Horacio Manzanares and Stanley Griego Evans. Stan, when I meet him now, never fails to make sure that I’m told that he was a better musician than I was.

I knew the basketball stars Jerry and Leonard Roybal in junior high. Because we were in the same grade, Leonard and I were closer. I remain happy to congratulate Lenny whenever he coaches the Espanola Sun Devils to another state championship. These friendships and many others were possible for me because Santa Fe’s neighborhoods were considerably more ethnically “mixed” than they are now. 

About Nuevo Mexico Profundo
Nuevo Mexico Profundo is the venture that conducts tours of New Mexico churches on the High Road, in the mountain villages, at pueblos, to raise money for the repair and restoration of these churches so important to the communities where they reside. Profundo is a collaboration started by Frank Graziano and supported by the Historic Santa Fe Foundation, Spanish Colonial Arts Society, Cornerstones Community Partnerships, New Mexico Historic Preservation Division, the Office of the New Mexico State Historian, and the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance. Given the conditions of the ongoing health crisis, tours and events planned by Profundo have been canceled for the year. This program of interviews and recording histories was put into action according to social distancing and health regulations. You can learn more about Nuevo Mexico Profundo at nuevo-mexico-profundo.com.