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Founder of Earth Day
Born June 4th, 1916, in Clear Lake, WisconsinWas the third of four children to his father,
who was a doctor and city mayor, and to his mother, who was involved in civic matters and community service
Attended Clear Lake High School, playing both football and basketball
Attended San Jose State College in California, graduating in 1939
Nelson at his college graduation,
pictured with his mother, Mary
Dr. Nelson & Mary Nelson,
Gaylord’s parents
Clear Lake High School Band
Gaylord Nelson playing trumpet
Clear Lake School Classroom
Great-grandfather helped start the Republican Party in Wisconsin
Became interested in politics after hearing Progressive Party leader, Robert M. LaFollette speak from the back of a train
Graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School and admitted to the Wisconsin bar in 1942
Served as a lieutenant in the United States Army during World War II and was a part of the Okinawa Campaign
Robert LaFollette speaking
At age 14, organized campaign to plant trees along five of the roads in Clear Lake, but was not successful
After the war, ran as a Progressive Republican for state Senate in 1946, but did not win
Ran again for state Senate again in 1948, but this time as a Democrat and won
Served on state Senate for 10 years until elected Governor in 1958
Nelson as State Senator
In 1961, won legislative approval for the Outdoor Resources Action Program, which put a one cent tax on cigarettes in order to preserve natural lands
This 10-year program created one million acres of state parks and recreation areas throughout Wisconsin
Also proposed a regulation on detergents to keep from further polluting the state’s rivers and streams
Map of Wisconsin State Parks
Elected to the United States Senate as a Democrat in 1962
Appointed to the Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, which allowed him to work on natural resources policy
Also served on the Finance Committee, the Small Business Committee, the Monopoly Subcommittee on Small Business, the Subcommittee on Employment, and the Manpower and Poverty of the Labor and Public Welfare Committee
Served the Senate for 18 years until 1980 when he was surprisingly defeated by Robert W. Kasten
In 1963, gave speech to the Senate in support of bill to ban detergents from water supplies
In 1965, introduced first bill to ban the use of DDT
In 1970, gave speech to the Senate on his ‘environmental agenda’
The effects of DDT
Amend Constitution to say “Every person has the inalienable right to a decent environment. The U.S. and every State shall guarantee this right.”
Rid U.S. of massive pollution from heavily used products including the internal combustion engine, hard pesticides, detergent pollution, aircraft pollution, and nonreturnable containers
Involve citizens in environmental policy through creating an environmental advocacy agency
Regulate ocean drilling to reduce ocean pollution Create environmental education programs at all educational levels Develop mass transit systems Create a national land use policy to reduce unplanned urban
sprawl, industrial expansion, and pollution Development of national minerals & resources policy for
conservation & wise use Establish policy for air and water quality Set up a nonpartisan national environmental political action
organization
Sponsored environmental legislation that became part of the Clean Air Act, the Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act, the National Lake Preservation Act, the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act, the Water Quality Act, and the Wilderness Act
Worked with Johnson administration to pass the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968
Sponsored legislation to preserve the 2,100 mile Appalachian Trial System, which led to the passing of the National Trial Systems Act in 1968, as well as legislation that established fuel efficiency standards in automobiles
Worked to pass the Endangered Species ActHelped create national scenic seashores and lakeshoresInitiated Earth Day in 1970
Idea developed over a 7 year period, beginning in 1962, when Nelson convinced President Kennedy to take a national conservation tour
Disappointed that President Kennedy’s tour did not bring environmental issues to the national political agenda
While speaking out West, the thought to have a similar protest to the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations called “teach-ins” came to Nelson
In September of 1969, he announced there would be a national environmental protest in the spring of 1970
Appointed Denis Hayes to coordinate Earth Day activities from a headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Approximately 20 million Americans participatedCongress recessed for members to attend & speak
at local events 10,000 elementary & high schools; 2,000 colleges;
& 1,000 communities participatedEarth Day has been celebrated yearly since April
22nd, 1970Led President Nixon to establish the
Environmental Protection Agency
“A nationwide demonstration of concern for the environment so large that is would shake the political establishment out of its lethargy
and, finally, force this issue permanently onto the national political agenda.”
-Gaylord Nelson
In 1981, Nelson became a counselor at the Wilderness Society, an organization that works to protect the environment out of Washington, D.C.
Received the Environmental Leadership Award in 1982 and the “Only One Earth” Award in 1992, both from the United Nations
Awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, by President Bill Clinton in 1995
Continued to promote Earth DayNelson receiving Medal of
Freedom
Earth Day contributed to the development of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act
Nelson died of cardiovascular failure on July 3, 2005, at the age of 89
Cremated and buried on family plot in Clear Lake, WISurvived by wife of 57 years, Carrie Lee Nelson; two
sons, Gaylord Jr. and Jeffery; and three grandchildrenRemembered in Wisconsin by the Gaylord Nelson
State Park in Madison and the Gaylord Nelson room at the town museum in Clear Lake
All About Earth Day. Retrieved from http://earthday.wilderness.org/history/.
Gaylord Nelson. Retrieved from http://wilderness.org/content/gaylord-nelson.
Nelson, Gaylord Anton. Retrieved from http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=N000033.
Schneider, K. (2005). Gaylord A. Nelson, Founder of Earth Day, Is Dead at 89. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/04/politics/04nelson.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&pagewanted =print&adxnnlx=1259046108-uS5mwzto7K+19lwzi7EuCQ.
Webber, D. (1996). Senator Gaylord Nelson, Founder of Earth Day. Retrieved from http://web.missouri.edu/~webberd/Nelson.html.
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