Gaylord Nelson, Father of Earth Day - MINDS@UW Home

passed by the House.” President Nixon signed the Apostle Islands National
Lakeshore Act on September 26, 1970. 92
What makes the Apostle Islands bill interesting is the confluence of work
necessary to make it law, as well as its impact on other events. In this case,
Gaylord Nelson again showed significant determination, working for nine years to
make his dream a reality. Second, Nelson worked with representatives from the
different bands of local Indians and eventually gained their support. Finally, it was
Gaylord Nelson‟s interest in the Apostle Islands that catalyzed his effort to
organize John F. Kennedy‟s Conservation Tour in September of 1963. When
Nelson approached Kennedy with his idea, he integrated conservation ethics and
environmental ethics in his proposal, and thus Nelson‟s work to establish an
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore proves to be a critical exemplar of his efforts
to bridge gaps and build coalitions between conservationists and
environmentalists.
John F. Kennedy Conservation Tour of 1963
On September 24, 1963, John F. Kennedy embarked on a nationwide tour
intended to promote resource conservation and environmental awareness. He
visited seventeen cities in four days. The tour, as planned, was the brainchild of
Gaylord Nelson.
92 Gaylord Nelson Papers, 1954-2005. Box 1, Folio 8. Wisconsin State
Historical Society, McIntyre Library, University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. Eau
Claire, Wisconsin.
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