Don Bullis graduated from Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in American History and American Literature. He attended graduate school at the University of New Mexico in 1971. During the 1970s he worked in public relations, educational projects and business. In the early 1980s he became a columnist for the New Mexico Independent newspapers and editor of the Sandoval County Times-Independent.
Bullis began a law enforcement career in 1982 that included stints as deputy sheriff/criminal investigator (Sandoval County), town marshal (San Ysidro), Commissioner (Governor’s Organized Crime Prevention Commission), and criminal intelligence operational supervisor (New Mexico Department of Public Safety). He retired in 2002.
After retirement, Bullis returned to newspaper work as a columnist (“Ellos Pasaron Por Aqui”), book reviewer and political correspondent for the Rio Rancho Observer. He is also the author of three non-fiction books and two novels:
The Old West Trivia Book (1993)
New Mexico’s Finest: Peace Officers Killed in the Line of Duty, 1847-1991 (2nd edition,
1996 and 3rd edition 1999)
Bloodville (a novel 2002)
99 New Mexicans…and a few other folks (2005)
Bull’s Eye (a novel 2006)
New Mexico: A Biographical Dictionary (2007)
Bullis is also the editor and publisher of the New Mexico Historical Notebook, distributed twice-monthly by e-mail to folks interested in the history—and historical events—of the 47th state.
Bullis is Sheriff (President) of the Albuquerque Corral of Westerners International. He is a member of the Historical Society of New Mexico, Sandoval County Historical Society, the Albuquerque Historical Society, Corrales Historical Society, Western Writers of America, the Western History Association, National Association for Outlaw & Lawman History, The New Mexico Book Association, the New Mexico Book Co-op and the ENMU Alumni Association.
Bullis lives in Rio Rancho, New Mexico with his wife, Gloria. |
