Environment, Education, and Leadership: The Legacies of Cecil D. Andrus, Idaho’s Only Four-Time Governor

This talk explores the many ‘firsts’ and lasting legacies of Cecil D. Andrus, who served for fourteen years as Idaho’s governor from 1971-1977 and again 1987-1995.  The Andrus legacy is readily noticeable on the names of the environmental areas, such as the Cecil D. Andrus Wildlife Management Area of Washington County (1993) and the Cecil C. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness Area (2015) in Custer County.  Andrus left the governorship to serve as the Secretary of the Interior under President Jimmy Carter from 1977-1981 and is credited with the design and passage of the Alaska Lands Act conserving more than 100 million acres in Alaska.  

As important as his environmental legacies are the many firsts Andrus forged while in leadership.  As the father of three girls, he understood the importance of gender proportionate representation in all areas of society, naming the state’s first woman to the State Court of Appeals (Cathy Silak) and then the first woman to the State Supreme Court (Linda Copple Trout), and then the second woman to each of those positions.  Andrus also worked towards the state sponsorship of kindergartens and invested in early childhood education.  

This talk will explore the role of public lands, public schools, and public administration by telling stories and recounting achievements from Andrus’s Idaho.