Stewart Udall
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| Stewart Udall | |
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| In office January 21, 1961 – January 20, 1969 |
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| President | John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Fred Andrew Seaton |
| Succeeded by | Walter Joseph Hickel |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 2nd district
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| In office January 3, 1955 – January 21, 1961 |
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| Preceded by | Harold Patten |
| Succeeded by | Mo Udall |
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| Born | January 31, 1920 St. Johns, Arizona |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Religion | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
Stewart Lee Udall (born January 31, 1920) is a former American politician.
[edit] Biography
Born in St. Johns, Arizona, he is the son of Levi Stewart Udall. He was educated at the University of Arizona, and he saw combat as a gunner in the Army Air Corps during the Italian Campaign of World War II. Stewart Udall graduated from the University of Arizona Law School in 1948, and began his own law practice in Tucson shortly thereafter.
Udall became increasingly active in public service, being elected to the School Board of Amphitheater Public Schools (District 10) in Tucson in June 1951. He became the President of Amphitheater School Board in 1952.
Stewart Udall served as U.S. Representative from Arizona from 1955 to 1961 and then as Secretary of the Interior under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1969, when he described his nation's ecological attitudes as the "myth of superabundance".[1]
He lent his support and advice to one of the earliest efforts to save a complex natural resource, The Great Swamp of New Jersey. After a year-long legal battle that pitted local residents against the powerful New York Port Authority officials who wished to turn the Great Swamp into a major regional airport to replace Newark Airport with one that could accommodate large jet aircraft. The Jersey Jet Site Association was the first to form in opposition and it was followed closely by the North American Wildlife Foundation. Between the two organizations, enough property in the core of the swamp quickly was purchased, assembled, and donated to the federal government to qualify for perpetual protection as a park. The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge was established by an Act of Congress on November 3, 1960. As the congressman from Arizona and later as the Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall, championed the efforts of these residents, whom he described as having mounted the greatest effort ever made by residents in America to protect a natural habitat.
Later, the effort was mentioned frequently in his discussions of the environmental issues that needed to be resolved before irreplaceable resources were lost and the commitment of citizens to protect them. This federal refuge consists of 7,600 acres or almost 12 square miles (30.4 km²) of varied habitats in the center of a fifty-five square mile watershed. The Great Swamp is a migration-resting and feeding area or permanent habitat for more than 244 species of birds. The major routes of birds migrating along the easter portion of the United States follow the corridor that includes the Great Swamp as a major stopping place for rest and nutrition. Many species of insects, animals, and birds reside permanently in the watershed area. Its role in draining the region and absorbing quick floods for gradual release can be critical during extreme weather conditions.
Udall was largely responsible for the enactment of environmental laws in Johnson's Great Society legislative agenda, including the Clear Air, Water Quality and Clean Water Restoration Acts and Amendments, the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, the Land and Water Conservation [Fund] Act of 1965, the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965, the National Trail System Act of 1968, and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968.
It was also during Udall's tenure as Secretary of the Interior when, in September 1962, he was summoned unexpectedly into a meeting with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev during a tour of the Soviet Union. It was during this meeting that Khrushchev famously hinted at his secret deployment of nuclear missiles to Cuba by telling Udall that: "It's been a long time since you could spank us like a little boy. Now we can swat your ass." This was a prelude to the Cuban Missile Crisis. [2]
He was the brother of Congressman and 1976 presidential candidate Mo Udall; he served as Mo's campaign manager during the primary election, which Mo lost to Jimmy Carter. Stewart's son Tom Udall and nephew Mark Udall are currently serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Point Udall, the easternmost place in the United States, was named for him.
He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He is the author of numerous books, including his most well known, The Quiet Crisis, published in 1963. In 1968 Udall received an LL.D. from Bates College.
Udall, along with Robert McNamara and W. Willard Wirtz are the only three surviving members of the Kennedy administration cabinet.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links/References
- [http://politicalgraveyard.com/families/2111.html Biography at the Political Graveyard
| Preceded by Harold A. Patten |
U.S. Representative, Arizona 2nd Congressional District 1955–1961 |
Succeeded by Mo Udall |
| Preceded by Fred Seaton |
United States Secretary of the Interior 1961–1969 |
Succeeded by Walter Joseph Hickel |
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