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Stephen T. Mather came to Washington from Chicago in January 1915 as
special assistant to Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane for
national park concerns. His vigorous efforts to build public and
political support for the parks helped persuade Congress to create
the National Park Service in 1916.
Appointed the first NPS director in May 1917, he continued to
promote park access, development, and use and contributed generously
to the parks from his personal fortune. During his tenure the
service's domain expanded eastward with the addition of Shenandoah,
Great Smoky Mountains, and Mammoth Cave national parks.
Periodically disabled by manic-depression, Mather left office in
January 1929 after suffering a stroke and died a year later.
National Park Service Historic Photograph by |
