October, 2009
Jean Lasee, MAOM
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the PBS series "The National Parks" last week.
Each episode contained stories of forward-thinking people who believed in and
had a passion for preserving the beautiful, wild places of this country. Stephen
Mather, the first Director of the National Park Service, came to office in 1916.
He selected Horace Albright as his assistant who eventually became its second
director after Mather suffered an incapacitating stroke in November of 1928. The
two worked very closely together for the next twelve years, building the National
Park Service from a haphazard collection of scenic areas controlled by strong
interests, into an accessible system of parks across the country.
Change Agent Role
It was a radical idea that scenic wonders be made available to all and not just
those of privilege. Mather was an excellent visionary and change agent well
before the term was known. He had extensive public relations experience from
his years in private industry and put it to good use in his new position. He was
a wealthy man and knew many of the “barons” who had considerable power
and influence at this time. Initially, he turned to this group to engender their
support to move his plans forward. I would call this step in his approach to
implementing change as “creating leadership alignment.”
He had many battles with those who thought differently about what a national
park system should be. Diffficult confrontations developed over establishing
parkd in the Grand Tetons, the Smoky Mountains, and the Grand Canyon.
I would call these reactions as "resistance to change." As someone who has
lived in Arizona for a number of years, I will discuss a story in the state's history
in which I was not fully aware— the contentious clash between Stephan Mather,
Horace Albright and Ralph Henry Cameron.
Making the Case for a Park
Suggestions to make the Grand Canyon a national park went back to the 1880s.
All failed in Congress because of opposition from local miners, settlers and
ranchers. Benjamin Harrison created the Grand Canyon Forest Reserve in 1893,
with Theodore Roosevelt establishing the Grand Canyon National Monument in
1908. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway built tracks to the South Rim
in 1901. By 1919, thousands of visitors were coming to the Grand Canyon—
equal to the visitation numbers of Yellowstone and Yosemite. However, as a
national monument, cattle grazing and numerous mining claims competed with
those who sought an experience with nature. Mather wanted to change all this
by making the canyon a national park.
One particular individual, Ralph Cameron, controlled many of the canyon’s scenic
views, by establishing mining claims, 13,000 in all. He collected a $1.00 fee for
visitors to descend the Bright Angel Trail, even though it was federal land. At
Indian Garden (halfway down), he charged exorbitant prices for water, as well
as fees for the only outhouses between the rim and the Colorado River. He
even sought financial backing from entrepreneurs in the east to gain control
of the canyon from the federal government.
In 1919, Congress finally passed a bill creating Grand Canyon National Park.
In 1920, the Supreme Court ruled against Cameron to give up his mining claims.
Even though he lost his legal battle, he did not remove his hotel and other ventures
for six more years.
In 1921, Cameron became a U.S. Senator for the State of Arizona and used his
influence for revenge against Mather and Albright. For example, he tried to eliminate
the park’s budget, build two large hydroelectric dams and open platinum mining in
the park, all of which were defeated because of public outcry. He eventually faced
charges of political corruption and personal impropriety. Having alienated members
of the Senate, as well as his constituents, he lost his bid for re-election in 1926.
He was finally forced to remove all his buildings and the toll gate.
Dealing With the Bully
This story was of great interest to me for many reasons. I too have faced “the bully”
on most of my change projects, however, not in such an extreme way. These people
causedconsiderable havoc and ground what I was trying to accomplish to a halt.
Many times, I took their behavior personally, instead of seeing them for their lack
of emotional intelligence and maturity. Second, I realized even more that change
requires courage and patience. Mather and Albright fought Cameron for ten years.
Of course, not every change is this difficult or worth fighting for. In our own lives
and organizations, we must decide what deserves our attention, courage, and
patience. What is worth changing?
Sources
http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/people
http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/parks/grand-canyon
http://pbs.org/nationalparks/history/ep4
Lamb, Blaine (1977), A Many Checkered Toga: Arizona Senator Ralph H. Cameron,
Arizona and the West, Vol. 19, No. 1, Spring, pp.47-64.
Strong, Douglas (1978), Ralph H. Cameron and the Grand Canyon (Part 1), Arizona and the West,
Vol. 20, No. 1, Spring, pp. 41-64.
Talk to you later.
Jean
© 2009
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