Bob Marshall (wilderness Activist)

Bob Marshall (wilderness Activist)

Robert "Bob" Marshall (January 2, 1901 – November 11, 1939) was an American forester, writer and wilderness activist. The son of wealthy constitutional lawyer and conservationist Louis Marshall, Bob Marshall developed a love for the outdoors as a young child. A consummate hiker and climber, he visited the Adirondack Mountains frequently during his youth, ultimately becoming one of the first Adirondack Forty-Sixers. He also traveled to the Alaskan wilderness and wrote numerous articles and publications, including the bestselling 1933 book Arctic Village.

A scientist with a Doctor of Philosophy in plant physiology, Marshall became independently wealthy after the death of his father. He held two significant public posts: chief of forestry in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, from 1933 to 1937, and head of recreation management in the Forest Service, from 1937 to 1939. Defining wilderness as a social as well as an environmental ideal, Marshall was the first to suggest a formal, national organization of individuals dedicated to the preservation of primeval land. In 1935, he became one of the principal founders of The Wilderness Society and personally provided most of the Society's funding in its first years. He also supported socialism and civil liberties throughout his life.

Marshall died of heart failure at the age of 38. Twenty-five years later, partly as a result of his efforts, The Wilderness Society fostered the Wilderness Act, which legally defined the wilderness of the United States and protected some nine million acres (36,000 km2) of federal land. Today, Marshall is considered largely responsible for the wilderness preservation movement. Several landmarks and areas, including The Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana and Mount Marshall in the Adirondacks, have been named in his honor.