Rogers Morton

Rogers Morton

Rogers Clark Ballard Morton (September 19, 1914 – April 19, 1979) was an American politician who served as Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of Commerce under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, respectively. He also served as a member of the House of Representatives, representing Maryland's 1st congressional district.

Though he was born in Kentucky, Morton moved to a farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the early 1950s. In 1962, he was elected to the House of Representatives by the people of the Eastern Shore, where he established an environmental record. (Morton would joke that his two middle initials stood for "Chesapeake Bay.") In 1968, Morton played a major role in Richard Nixon's campaign for president, and was chosen by Nixon in 1969 to serve as Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

In the elections of 1970, Morton was considered a strong candidate to challenge Joseph Tydings for his U.S. Senate seat from Maryland, but he chose instead to remain as chairman of the RNC. In 1971, President Nixon tapped Morton to serve as Secretary of the Interior, during which time he oversaw the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and the 1973 oil crisis. Morton was the only person to serve as head of the Interior Department from the east coast in the 20th century.

Following Nixon's resignation due to the Watergate Scandal, Morton continued in his post in the Gerald Ford administration until 1975, when he was nominated to serve as Secretary of Commerce. From April to August 1976, Morton served as Ford's campaign manager in his bid for election. Morton retired from politics following Ford's election defeat. Three years later, he died of cancer at his home on the Eastern Shore.