Tom Scanlan

Tom Scanlan was born in Long Beach, California on June 2, 1933. Because his father was career Navy, he lived on both coasts and overseas while growing up. He spent parts of his boyhood living with his mother’s parents and relatives in northwestern New Mexico while his father was at sea. Those times were his strongest and best childhood memories, so he returned to New Mexico years later to attend college. He studied at New Mexico Tech and at the University of New Mexico, before transferring to the University of Maryland and eventually San Diego State University in California. He worked briefly on both coasts as a research physicist before choosing a career teaching physics and astronomy at a community college near San Diego.

His mother, an English teacher before she married, instilled in young Tom an appreciation of literature and a knack for writing. He developed a love of journalism while working on high school and college newspapers which persisted throughout his lifetime. After retiring from college teaching, he edited a newsletter for college retirees for twenty years, in which he wrote a regular book review column. During his retirement years he has also published several short stories and poems in local journals and self-published a book length, illustrated autobiography entitled, Footprints in the Sand. Even though his academic career took him first to the east coast, and later to the west coast, he continued to stay in touch with his New Mexico relatives. His quest to learn more about his mother’s family eventually culminated in this book.

Being raised in a military family took him to numerous old port cities and instilled a love of American history. HIs interest in the history of southwest United States intensified as he did research for this book. He is an active member of several local and state historical societies in both Texas and New Mexico. He currently resides in Fletcher Hills, California, a small suburb near San Diego.