"Gaylord Nelson Speaks at Democratic Convention," 1962, Wisconsin Historical Society
Nelson's Accomplishments
Gaylord Nelson is a celebrated environmentalist who founded Earth Day on April 22, 1970. He was a state senator from 1948 until 1958. In 1959, he was elected Governor of Wisconsin. From 1963 until 1981, he served as a U.S. Senator. In the Senate, he helped pass the Environmental Protection Act and the Clean Water Act.
"In that memorable 1970 mobilization, which evolved from an idea by senator Gaylord Nelson, more than 20 million Americans, many of them students, rallied under the banner of Mother Nature. Their plea for action helped lead to the passage of the Clean Air Act and the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency." - Endangered Earth Update Let Earth Have Its Day But the biggest demonstration in history should be only the beginning, 1989, TIME |
"The crisis of our environment is the big challenge facing mankind." - Gaylord Nelson, ND, Gaylord Nelson: Champion for Our Earth In 1995, President Clinton awarded Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
"As the founder of Earth Day, he is the grandfather of all that grew out of that event-the Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act. He also set a standard for people in public service to care about the environment and try to do something about it." - President Bill Clinton, 1995, Gaylord Nelson: Champion for Our Earth |