Donald P. Hodel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Donald Hodel
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| 45th United States Secretary of the Interior | |
| In office February 8, 1985 – January 20, 1989 |
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| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | William P. Clark Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Lujan Jr. |
| 4th United States Secretary of Energy | |
| In office November 5, 1982 – February 7, 1985 |
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| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | James B. Edwards |
| Succeeded by | John S. Herrington |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Donald Paul Hodel
May 23, 1935 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Barbara Stockman (1957–2012) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) University of Oregon (LLB) |
Donald Paul Hodel (born May 23, 1935) is an American former politician. He served in important roles in the United States government. He was the Secretary of Energy from 1982 to 1985. After that, he became the Secretary of the Interior from 1985 to 1989. Both of these jobs were under President Ronald Reagan.
During his time as Secretary of the Interior, Hodel was known for a policy called the "Hodel Policy." This policy suggested that old dirt roads and footpaths could be considered official public pathways. This idea was sometimes debated.
A newspaper, The Washington Post, once reported a controversial suggestion from Hodel. It said that instead of reducing chemicals that harm the ozone layer, people should wear hats and use sunscreen. A spokesperson for Hodel later clarified that this was just one idea among many presented to the President.
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Early Life and Education
Donald Hodel was born in Portland, Oregon. His parents were Philip E. Hodel and Theresia R. Brodt Hodel. He went to Harvard University for his college education.
In 1957, he married Barbara Beecher Stockman. She was from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and studied at Wellesley College. They got married while she was still in her senior year of college.
After they both graduated, the Hodels moved to Oregon. Donald Hodel then earned his law degree from the University of Oregon. While living in Oregon, they had two sons. Barbara became a full-time mother to care for their children.
After a difficult family time, the Hodels became deeply involved in their Christian faith. They became active in their church and other Christian groups. They also started speaking at religious meetings and prayer breakfasts. The Hodels have appeared on TV shows like The 700 Club and The Hour of Power. They also spoke on Focus on the Family broadcasts. They shared their story to help other families who had faced similar challenges.
Government Career
From 1972 to 1977, Donald Hodel worked as the administrator for the Bonneville Power Administration. This agency manages power in the Pacific Northwest. After leaving this role, he believed that the region would need all the power from new nuclear plants being planned.
Hodel served as the United States Secretary of Energy from 1982 to 1985. Then he became the United States Secretary of the Interior from 1985 to 1989. Both of these important roles were during President Ronald Reagan's time in office. Before these roles, he was an Undersecretary of the Interior.
Land Management and Conservation
Hodel tried to introduce new ways to manage large areas of federal land. Some people disagreed with his plans. He also worked to create many new wilderness areas. Despite some disagreements, the Reagan administration added over two million acres (about 8,000 square kilometers) to the national wilderness system.
The "Hodel Policy" about public pathways continued for a while. It was used by the next Secretary, Manuel Lujan Jr., during the George H. W. Bush administration. However, it was later stopped in 1997 by Secretary Bruce Babbitt.
Hodel once wrote about his beliefs on the environment. He said that President Reagan's team believed America could have both a better environment and enough energy. He felt that the country did not have to choose between these two goals.
While he was Secretary, Hodel suggested studying the removal of the O'Shaughnessy Dam. This dam is in Yosemite National Park. He wanted to see if the Hetch Hetchy Valley could be restored. However, Dianne Feinstein, who was the former mayor of San Francisco (which owns the dam), did not support this study, and it was stopped.
In 1984, the Navajo Nation asked the Secretary of the Interior to adjust the royalty rate for a coal lease. This was a payment from Peabody Coal, now Peabody Energy. In 1985, after Hodel became Secretary, he met with a representative from Peabody. This representative was a former aide and friend of Hodel.
After this meeting, Hodel approved changes to the lease. The new royalty rates were lower than what government agencies had previously thought was fair. Later, in 2007, a court decided that these actions went against the government's duty to protect the Navajo Nation's interests.
Post-Government Career
After his government service, Donald Hodel moved to Colorado. There, he worked as an energy consultant. He also served on the boards of various charities and companies. He wrote a book called Crisis in the Oil Patch in 1995.
From 1997 to 1999, Hodel was the president of the Christian Coalition. This is a non-profit political group that focuses on conservative Christian values.
From 2003 to 2005, Hodel served as president and CEO of Focus on the Family. This is another non-profit Christian organization. He said his main job was to help the organization transition leadership from its founder, James Dobson, to his successor. Hodel had been on the board of Focus on the Family before becoming president, and he remained on the board for some time afterward.
Hodel also served as chairman of a company called FreeEats.com. This company used automated phone calls to share information about certain causes.
Environmental Efforts
As Secretary of the Interior, Donald Hodel made an important decision in 1985. He ordered the purchase of a ranch in southern Arizona. This land became the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge covers about 118,000 acres (478 square kilometers) of grassland.
The refuge was created to protect the masked bobwhite quail. This specific type of quail is found only in this refuge within the United States.
As of 2023, Hodel serves as chairman emeritus at Summit Power Group, Inc. This company is based in Seattle. It develops projects that use wind, solar, and gas-fired power plants to create energy. Hodel was the founder and managing director of the company's predecessor in 1989.
