George B. Hartzog, Jr. - The Man
Often called "America's Greatest Idea," our national park system is the envy of others. It is also unique to us, and has been copied over the world. Unfortunately, we often take this superb collection of natural and cultural icons for granted. Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Great Smoky Mountains are easily recognizable names to many if not most Americans. Muir, Mather, Albright, Hartzog are not so associative. Generally, the parks are known, but not the people behind them.
Indeed, our system of national park areas is for the people, but they are also established and perpetuated as a result of the efforts and ingenuity of a select group of individuals. Some of these have given birth to the system, and others have nurtured it. Either way, these individuals are as significant to the cultural well-being of this country as any of those persons more recognizable in our history texts. Their signatures, however appear as the scenic splendor of Yellowstone, or the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg, rather than as print in a book.
George B. Hartzog, Jr. is one such "man behind the scenery." As the seventh Director of the National Park Service from 1964 to 1973, his administration led the largest expansion of the national park system in its history, adding 69 units. Among the many historic accomplishments during the "Hartzog Years" are the key highlights which follow:
" Initiated the Bible Amendment of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 reserving selection of 80 million acres of National Interest Land from State and Native Interest lands for possible addition to the national park, forest, wildlife refuge and wild and scenic rivers systems. From these and other lands, Congress in 1980 more than doubled the size of the national park system, adding more than 43 million acres.
" Supported, in concert with the Director of the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation and the Chief of the US Forest Service the development and passage of: The Wilderness Act; The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act; the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act; and the National Trails System Act.
" Developed recruitment, training and promotion initiatives to involve women, minorities and Native Americans in national park management programs.
" Created the proposal and obtained Congressional authorization for the Volunteers in Parks (VIP) program. In 1997, there were approximately 90,000 VIPs throughout the system, outnumbering full-time employees four to one. Many park visitor services could not be provided without these individuals.
" Initiated the "Bring Parks to People" urban park programs in San Francisco and New York; "Summer in the Parks" and "Parks for All Seasons" youth programs in partnership with public schools, local governments and citizen organizations; "Living History" programs to link generation to generation; and "Environmental Education Landmarks" with environmental education curricula to foster a sense of community in our society.
Director Hartzog is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, and profiled in Exemplary Public Administrators, Character and Leadership in Government. At the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri, the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Visitor Center is featured. The architectural masterpiece of the Arch may well be his perpetual landmark of achievement.
Since leaving government service, he has continued to provide his unique style of leadership as a Director of the White House Historical Association (1973-1998) and President and Chairman of its Executive Committee (1995-1998), Chairman of the Trustees of the White House Endowment Trust (1998-2004), and with the Wolf Trap Associates (Chairman), National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Marjorie Merriweather Post Foundation and numerous other cultural and environmental groups.
All this may be best summarized by the words of the Secretary of the Interior's Advisory Board on the National Park System who stated, "There will never come an end to the good he has done."
George B. Hartzog, Jr. is in himself a national treasure.
George B. Hartzog has been a long-time supporter of the PRTM Department; however, his recent health has precluded his attending recent campus events that surround his name and reflect his generosity. Missing the company of George and his wife, Helen, many members of the Department made the journey to Washington, DC, to visit them. The evening of January 10th was a delightful night of conversation and storytelling, jokes and laughter in their home, which resembles nothing if not, a branch of the Smithsonian Institute. Helen guided us through her lifetime collection of antiques and mementos gathered through George's long career in the National Park Service while George's eyes sparkled with impish delight as he told stories of those grand years. Helen prepared a gourmet meal that was enough to feed several PRTM Departments. Those students making the journey were Jenny Cavin, Jo An Zimmermann, and Joy James. Faculty included Bill Hammitt who was accompanied by his wife, Sally, and Brett Wright and his wife, Judy, Gina McLellan, Rob Bixler and Wesley Burnett. Kathy Mengak (Ph.D. 2002) came up from Ferrum College and gave George a copy of her recently completed doctoral dissertation, "Acquisition, Equity and Urbanization: The Legacy of George B. Hartzog, Jr." Tony Knapp of the National Park Service also joined us and George and Helen's son, Edward, a lawyer in New York City, played host and grandmaster. It was a joyous evening spent among good friends. Thank you, George and Helen!!
©Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management. Last updated on December 17, 2007.