As another Inauguration approaches, here’s a quick look the U.S. Presidents with whom Stephen Mather worked to assure the growth and permanence of the National Park system.
Stephen Mather’s dealings with Congress were often contentious as he urged it to loosen the purse strings to increase Park funding. But, by all appearances, his relationship with the Executive branch reflected a shared vision for expanding and protecting the National Parks.
Woodrow Wilson. As Robert Shankland points out in Steve Mather of the National Parks, in 1916 ”For the Presidency, Mather, though a Republican, was backing Wilson over Charles Evans Hughes—for one thing, as far as the parks were concerned, he did not have to speculate about the intentions of a Wilson administration.”
In August 1916 Wilson signed the act establishing the National Park Service. The act, in part, states that the service’s “purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”
Warren G. Harding. Although Harding’s presidency was tinged with scandal, and shortened by his death on August 2, 1923, his interest in the National Parks was noted by Stephen Mather in his Annual Report to the Secretary of the Interior in that year…
The itinerary of President Harding’s trip through the West, and to Alaska, which ended so tragically with his death in San Francisco, included visits to Zion, Yellowstone, and Yosemite National Parks…While the phenomena and wild life of the park [Yellowstone] were especially interesting to President Harding, the thing that seemed to impress him the most was the manner in which the park was being used by people from all parts of the United States…”
Calvin Coolidge. In the 1927 Annual Report, Stephen Mather notes that:
“The prolonged attempt to enlarge the boundaries of the Sequoia National Park by the inclusion of certain mountainous back country came to a partial successful conclusion on July 3, when President Coolidge signed the act adding Mount Whitney and the Kern River country to the park.”
In all, Coolidge created thirteen National Monuments as well as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Act.
Herbert Hoover. Stephen Mather shared more than a love of the outdoors with Hoover. They shared a birthday—July 4th. Interestingly too, the Hoover Institution notes that “In 1924, Hoover also became president of the National Park Association (NPA), an organization established in 1919 by a generous donation given by Stephen Mather, the first director of the National Park Service.”
Hoover’s administration increased appropriations for the national parks by more than 50%. The administration formally opened Grand Teton and Carlsbad Cavern National Parks. Hoover proclaimed Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, a merger of two adjacent Rocky Mountain parks on each side of the U.S.-Canada border.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Roosevelt did not become President until after Stephen Mather’s death but one of his most famous quotes was…”There is nothing so American as our national parks…The fundamental idea behind the parks…is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us.”
Although President Roosevelt sent his regrets at not being able to attend the dedication of the Mather plaque at Bear Mountain, his wife, Eleanor did attend.
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