James G. Watt was our nation’s forty-third Secretary of the Interior. Watt grew up in Lusk and Wheatland. After graduating from UW with a law degree, he served as counsel to Wyoming Senator Milward Simpson.
Watt joined President Ronald Reagan’s cabinet in January of 1981. Watt’s mandate was both to preserve lands for the enjoyment of future generations and to develop natural resources by allowing mining and drilling for oil and gas. Editorial cartoonists had a field day caricaturing Watt and the Sierra Club lobbied against him. Watt didn’t shy away from the challenges. He said:
This is the most exciting job in the whole world, for focused in this one position, in this one seat, are responsibilities for one third of America. And the responsibilities create tremendous conflict and tremendous clashes and controversy.
Although he was a polarizing figure in national politics, Watt’s policies were popular in Wyoming.
Learn more in the James G. Watt papers at UW’s American Heritage Center.