Bruce Babbitt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bruce Babbitt
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Babbitt in 2019
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| 47th United States Secretary of the Interior | |
| In office January 22, 1993 – January 19, 2001 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Manuel Lujan |
| Succeeded by | Gale Norton |
| 16th Governor of Arizona | |
| In office March 4, 1978 – January 5, 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Wesley Bolin |
| Succeeded by | Evan Mecham |
| 19th Attorney General of Arizona | |
| In office January 6, 1975 – March 4, 1978 |
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| Governor | Raúl Castro Wesley Bolin |
| Preceded by | N. Warner Lee |
| Succeeded by | Jack LaSota |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Bruce Edward Babbitt
June 27, 1938 Flagstaff, Arizona, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Hattie Coons
(m. 1968) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Notre Dame (BS) Newcastle University (MSc) Harvard University (JD) |
Bruce Edward Babbitt (born June 27, 1938) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 47th United States Secretary of the Interior from 1993 to 2001. This important job meant he helped manage and protect America's public lands and natural resources. Before that, he was the 16th governor of Arizona from 1978 to 1987. He also ran for President of the United States in 1988.
Bruce Babbitt became the Arizona Attorney General after finishing law school. He later became Governor of Arizona when the previous governor passed away. He was then elected to two full terms as governor. As governor, he worked on important issues like taxes, health care, and water. He also helped start the Democratic Leadership Council. After his time as Secretary of the Interior, he continued his work as a lawyer.
Contents
About Bruce Babbitt's Life
Early Life and Education
Bruce Babbitt was born in Flagstaff, Arizona, on June 27, 1938. His family was well-known in the area. They owned a department store and a ranch.
He went to the University of Notre Dame for his first degree. Then, he studied in the United Kingdom at Newcastle University with a special scholarship called a Marshall Scholarship. After that, he earned his law degree from Harvard Law School.
Family Life
In 1968, Bruce Babbitt married Harriet Coons, who is often called Hattie. Hattie is also a lawyer. She worked in Arizona and Washington, D.C.
She also served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States. Later, she was a Deputy Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development. Both of these roles were during the time Bill Clinton was president.
Bruce Babbitt's Political Journey
Serving Arizona
In November 1974, Bruce Babbitt won the election to become the Attorney General of Arizona. This job means he was the state's chief legal officer.
He became governor of Arizona on March 4, 1978. This happened because the governor at the time, Wesley Bolin, passed away. Arizona does not have a lieutenant governor. So, the next person in line, the Attorney General, became governor.
Babbitt was elected for a full four-year term later in 1978. He was elected again in 1982. He chose not to run for a third full term in 1986.
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As governor, Babbitt focused on important issues for Arizona. He worked on making sure there was enough water for the state. He also helped with tax changes and health care. In 1983, he sent the Arizona National Guard to help during a mining company strike in Morenci, Arizona.
Many people thought Babbitt would run for the U.S. Senate in 1986. But in 1985, he announced he would try to become president instead.
Working on the National Stage
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter asked Bruce Babbitt to join a special group. This group investigated an accident at a nuclear power plant called Three Mile Island. Babbitt helped study what happened and how to prevent future accidents.
Babbitt was a founding member of the Democratic Leadership Council. He also led the Democratic Governors Association in 1985. In 1988, he ran for president as a member of the Democratic Party.
One of his ideas was to have a national sales tax. This was to help with the country's large budget deficits at the time. He received good attention from the news. However, after the first few primary elections, he decided to stop his campaign.
Secretary of the Interior (1993–2001)
After his presidential campaign, Babbitt led the League of Conservation Voters. This group works to protect the environment. Then, he served for eight years as the United States Secretary of the Interior during President Bill Clinton's time in office.
As Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt worked hard to protect America's natural places. He focused on restoring the environment. He also worked to protect endangered species and the variety of life on Earth.
In 2000, Babbitt created the National Landscape Conservation System. This system includes many U.S. National Monuments and National Conservation Areas. These areas are managed to keep them "healthy, open, and wild."
One big challenge he faced was about the fees ranchers paid to graze their cattle on public lands. The fees were very low, and many felt the government was giving a special deal to ranchers. Babbitt tried to raise these fees, but senators from Western states stopped his plans.
President Clinton thought about nominating Babbitt to the United States Supreme Court in 1993 and 1994. However, other judges were chosen instead.
Life After Politics
After leaving his government job in 2001, Bruce Babbitt became a lawyer at Latham & Watkins. This is a large international law firm. He worked on environmental cases there.
Sometimes, his work as a lawyer caused disagreements with some environmental groups. For example, he represented clients who wanted to build large projects near coastlines. He also represented a ski resort that wanted to expand and use treated wastewater to make artificial snow.
Bruce Babbitt is still involved in conservation. He is a trustee for the World Wildlife Fund in the U.S. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Amazon Conservation Association. This group works to protect the amazing natural diversity of the Amazon rainforest.
See also
- Bill Clinton Supreme Court candidates
