And let me just leave you my definition of leadership as i think about stewart udall. Leadership demonstrates an unwavering philosophical underpinning of service to others. Anchored in humility, courage, humanity, and gratitude. And if you were to take a look at those whom we have honored as a people in your National Park system, theres a lesson there. There are those who have given of themselves, who have given of themselves, that in the end as the people of the nation, those are whom we honor most of all. Its interesting. Just take a look at those individuals by name. Those have been of service to others. That is the american legacy. To honor those who have given to others. Lastly, before we open it up to questions, on this centennial. Yes, august 25th is a big day. And i know you historians like to traffic in facts. So contrary to popular belief, i was not there for the signing of that act in 1916. Ive been around a long time but not that long. With respect to the centennial and the
[video clip] where are you from . New york city, manhattan. My parents lived in our home when i was born. Lived in harlem when i was born. I lived and moved in queens. Your parents met here . They met in kansas, where my mother lived, and my mother grew the up. During world war ii, my father was stationed there. That is when they met. Then my father was sent to france, and when the war was over they got married and moved to new york. And that is where i was born. At the Womans Hospital . The Womans Hospital, which is no longer there, near columbia university. And your family would go back south for holidays and summer vacations, weddings and funerals, things like that . You go south to her three times a year. We would go for thanksgiving, holidays mainly. Christmas, and we would visit my mothers family in kansas. This was before interstate highways as well. To lane, blacktop highway spread exactly. Mountains of west virginia. What about food . Issue spend a lot of time cooking . Yes, w
Historians anymore meeting about the agencys origins and its current challenges. This is 1. 5 hours. Welcome to this session. We hope more and be coming in. I know you are giving up your cocktail hour. We are going to have a reception a black curtain. He were all cordially invited. I will make some introductions. We will proceed after the introductions i will talk a bit about the collaboration and about promised the report which was commissioned by the national by members ofone oah and issued a few years back. Right,nding here to my grew up in fort worth. He was recruited into a summer seasonal job while he was a college. T houston that began a long career now stretching out some 54 years. As a stalwart member of the National Park service. He started in grand teton National Park. He worked his way all the way to the top when bill clinton appointed in director of the National Park service from 19972001. Before that, he was superintendent of National Capital park in the washington dc are
Wilderness society for some few decades or more, and as of 2014, serves as vice chair of the organizations governing townsy. Council. My own role working with the National Parks service goes back to the first collaborative agreement signed in 199495 when i was president of oah and ive worked in philadelphia with the Independence National historic parks and others and was one of the coauthors of imperilled promise that ill speak about after bob stanton talks, and i was a member of the Second Century Commission which delivered the report to congress on the state of affairs in the National Parks service. So with those introductions, ill turn to bob stanton, whos going to reflect on all these years in the Parks Service and some of the problems he sees. He or she is a better citizen with a keener appreciation of living here in the United States, who has toured the National Parks. Steven mather, the first director of the National Parks service. Good afternoon. Its a pleasure to be with you.
The National Parks service done by four members of oeh and issued a few years back. So bob stanton here to my right. Grew up in ft. Worth. He was recruited into a summer seasonal job while he was a student at houston hiliton college. That began a long career stretching out some 54 years in the Nations Service as a stalwart member of the National Parks service. So he started at the bottom in Grand Teton National Park and worked his way all the way to the top when bill clinton, president bill clinton appointed him the director of the National Parks service from 1997 to 2001. Before that, he was superintendent of National Capital park in the d. C. Area as a virginia islands National Park. He then served as regional director for the National Capital region. And then he made the mistake of retiring, which meant that he was even in greater demand. And so he has served as Senior Adviser to the secretary of the department of interior, and then was appointed by president obama in 2014 for a fou