Existing comment:
It was not until the Organic Act was signed in 1916, however, that a "protecting policy of government" was formed, known as the National Park Service. This act was greatly influenced by Chicago businessman Stephen T. Mather. While exploring several national parks, Mather met John Muir, a famous conservationist. After discussing the state of national parks with Muir, Mather wrote his concerns in a letter to Secretary of the Interior, Franklin K. Lane. In 1915, Lane invited him to become his special assistant on park matters. Working with Horace M. Albright, a legal assistant, the pair succeeded in promoting the Organic Act. In 1917, Mather became the first director of the National Park Service, where he expanded the system eastward to the Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains, even occasionally acquiring new land with his personal fortune. |