Former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, Dies At 90
March 21, 2010 at 12:26 PM by AHN · Leave a Comment
Santa Fe, NM, United States (AHN) – Former Secretary of Interior Stewart Udall died at 90. Udall who came from a famed political family spearheaded the 60’s conservation movement, and was an advocate for the American West.
He led the Interior Department from 1961-1968 and expanded public lands. During his tenure more than 2.4 million acres were added to national parks and he spearheaded the modern day environmental movement. He also led the charge for historic environmental legislation under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
According to his family the former statesman died yesterday morning at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, of natural causes. Udall had been confined to his bed following a fall last week.
Udall won election to the U.S. House as a Democrat in 1954 and served until his appointment as Interior secretary in January 1961.
Udall worked closely with environmental groups such as Sierra Club to create Redwood National Park on California’s northern coast. He also aided in the creation of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas, North Cascades National Park in Washington state and Canyonlands National Park in Utah, along with the Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts and the Point Reyes National Seashore north of San Francisco.
One of his most famous pieces of legislation he supported and passed is the Wilderness Act of 1964, which protects millions of acres.
However to give you an idea of how much a wilderness lover he was. Just a few years ago he and his grandson ascended 7,000 feet up to Bright Angel Train, from the floor of the Grand Canyon to the South Rim. Reportedly he refused a national Park Service offer of a mule and after completing the climb he headed straight into the bar at the Tovar Lodge and ordered a martini.
Udall married Ermalee Webb in 1948. She died in 2001 but they are both survived by their six children and eight grandchildren. Their son Tom served five terms in the House before winning his Senate seat in 2008.
