William Penn Mott Papers

Collection

Identifier: Mss-0117

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The papers contain material for the period of 1985-1989 and reflect the primary functions of the National Park Director. It includes correspondence from regional park directors and staff, newspaper clippings, publications and reports. Correspondence consists of administrative and personnel matters, congratulatory letters and telegrams, pamphlets and a few pieces of memorabilia. The letters are arranged chronologically and within each date they are organized alphabetically by the last name of the correspondent.

Present in this series is information concerning the Daughters of the American Revolution who worked with the National Park Service on numerous projects that included the development of an interpretative institute relative to the American Revolution for high school and college teachers at four park sites: one which included Cowpens National Battlefield. Also included is a letter written to Nancy Reagan concerning the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, and a proposed time capsule in the Lincoln Memorial vicinity for Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta, Georgia.

Other material that may be found in this series document Mott's firm commitment to and his active involvement in the "Take Pride in America" campaign, and the various proposals he presented to regional directors to implement it. There is also Director Mott's 12 point plan of strategy to better protect the natural, cultural and recreational resources.

Notable correspondents include prominent national and state officials such as Nancy Reagan, George Hartzog, William A. Nitze, Donald Hodel, Morris K. Udall, Bill Bradley, Casper Weinberger and Mrs. Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Dates

1985 - 1989

Creator

Mott, William Penn (other_unmapped, Person)

Biographical Note

William Penn Mott, Jr. became the 12th Director of the National Park Service in 1985. At the time of his selection, Mott was President of the California State Park Foundation, a non-profit organization he founded in 1975 to acquire and develop properties on behalf of the state park system. He is also General Manager of the East Bay Zoological Society, which oversees the Oakland, California Zoo and surrounding Knowland Park.

From 1967 to 1975, he was then Governor Ronald Reagan's Director of the California State Department of Parks and Recreation, during which time the state park system doubled in size. Mott pioneered the hiring of women as professional state park rangers.

Mott began his park career in 1933 as a landscape architect for the National Park Service in San Francisco. From 1946 to 1962, he was Superintendent of Parks for the city of Oakland, California, where he gained a national reputation as an innovative park developer who reshaped the city with parks to enhance the quality of life for all citizens.

From 1962 to 1967, Mott was General Manager of the East Bay Regional Park District in the San Francisco Bay area, where he was instrumental in acquiring open space for park use in a fast growing metropolitan area.

Mott has been a consultant to Australia and Costa Rica on park development and has served as a member and officer of several national, regional and local conservation, park and civic organizations. He is a recipient of the Cornelius Amory Pugsley Silver Medal for outstanding leadership in scenic and historic preservation and, in 1981, received the Department of the Interior's Public Service Award.

Born October 19, 1909 in New York City, Mott has a Bachelor of Science degree in landscape architecture from Michigan State University and a Master's in the same field from the University of California at Berkeley.

He and his wife, Ruth, have three children.

Biographical informution from the Courier, The National Park Service Newsletter and National Leaders of American Conservation 1985.