William Penn Mott, Jr.

William P Mott
William Mott
Born	October 19, 1909 New York City, New York
Died	September 21, 1992 (aged 82) Orinda, California
Occupation	landscape architect

William Penn Mott, Jr. (October 19, 1909 – September 21, 1992),^[1] worked for the NPS as a landscape architect from 1933 to 1940 but devoted most of his later career to California's local and state parks.

Early career

From 1946 to 1985 he served successively as Oakland's park superintendent, the East Bay Regional Park District's general manager, director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation under Governor Ronald Reagan, and general manager of the East Bay Zoological Society.

National Park Service

Following his appointment as the 12th NPS director in May 1985, Mott issued a "Twelve Point Plan" to protect the parks and their resources, better serve the public, and improve the service's management. He took a strong interest in park interpretation and returned the NPS to a more expansionist posture after a near-moratorium on park additions during President Reagan's first term. When the Bush administration replaced him with its own appointee in April 1989, Mott remained on the rolls as special assistant to the western regional director overseeing planning for the Presidio of San Francisco. He died in 1992 at Orinda, California of pneumonia.^[2][3]

Twelve Point Plan

The Twelve Point Plan in 1985 was a means to “strengthen public trust, revitalize the organization and assure its continued success over time”.^[3] The twelve points are:

1. Develop a Long-range Strategy to Protect our Natural, Cultural, and Recreational Resources.
2. Pursue a Creative, Expanded Land Protection Initiative
3. Stimulate and Increase our Interpretive and Visitor Service Activities for Great Public Impact
4. Share Effectively with the Public our Understanding of Critical Resource issues
5. Increase Public Understanding of the Role and Function of the National Park Service
6. Expand the Role and Involvement of Citizens and Citizen Groups at all Levels in the National Park Service
7. Seek a Better Balance Between Visitor Use and Resource Management
8. Enhance our Ability to Meet the Diverse Uses that the Public Expects in National Parks
9. Expand Career Opportunities for our Employees
10. Plan, Design, and Maintain Appropriate Park Facilities
11. Develop a Team Relationship Between Concessioners and the National Park Service
12. Foster and Encourage more Creativity, Efficiency, and Effectiveness in the Management and Administration of the National Park Service.

See also

• National Park Service

References

1. "William Penn Mott / Cornelius Amory Pugsley State Medal Award, 1972 / Cornelius Amory Pugsley State Medal Award, 1982". American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. Archived from the original on November 4, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-07.
2. "DEATHS Series: DEATHS". St. Petersburg Times. September 23, 1992.
3. http://www.nps.gov/history/history/hisnps/NPSHistory/directors.htm Official Biography

• Allen, Annalee. Oakland Parks and Recreation celebrates 100 years at Defremery Park. Oakland Tribune, July 18, 2009.

External links

• Finding Aid to the William Penn Mott Jr. Papers, 1931-1992 at The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
• William Penn Mott papers. 1985-1989 at Clemson University Libraries, Clemson, SC

Additional reading

• Butler, Mary Ellen (1999). Prophet of the Parks: The Story of William Penn Mott, Jr. Ashburn, Virginia: National Recreation and Park Assn. ISBN 978-0-929581-78-1.