Bronze markers throughout many scenic American national parks stating: “He laid the foundation of the National Park Service, defining and establishing policies under which its areas shall be developed and conserved, unimpaired for future generations. There will never come an end to the good he had done…,” refer to this man.
Stephen Mather who as special assistant to the Secretary of the Interior Franklin Lane worked to secure Congressional approval in creating the National Park Service. Approval was obtained in 1916 and Mather was appointed the first director of the Park Service in 1917. He held the post until 1929.
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