James G. Watt | |
|---|---|
 1981 portrait | |
| 43rd United States Secretary of the Interior | |
| In office January 23, 1981 – November 8, 1983 | |
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Cecil Andrus |
| Succeeded by | William Clark |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Gaius Watt January 31, 1938 Lusk, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Died | May 27, 2023 (aged 85) Arizona, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Leilani Bomgardner (m. 1957) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Wyoming (BS, JD) |
James Gaius Watt (January 31, 1938 – May 27, 2023) was an American lawyer, lobbyist, and civil servant who served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior in the Ronald Reagan administration from 1981 to 1983. He was described as "anti-environmentalist" and was one of Ronald Reagan's most controversial cabinet appointments.[1]
His tenure as Secretary of the Interior was controversial primarily because he was perceived as hostile to environmentalism. Watt opened up nearly all of America's coastal waters to oil and gas drilling, widened access to coal on federal lands, and eased restrictions on strip-mining.[2] His proposals to sell off federal lands failed due to extensive opposition.[2] In 1983, he resigned after controversially remarking that a panel reviewing his coal-leasing policies had "every kind of mixture—I have a Black. I have a woman, two Jews and a cripple."[2]
After resigning from government, Watt became a lobbyist for builders seeking contracts with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).[2] In 1995, he was indicted on 18 counts of felony perjury and obstruction of justice for making false statements before a federal grand jury investigating influence peddling at HUD. The following year, he was sentenced to five years' probation.
- ^ Little, Amanda (June 11, 2004). "A look back at Reagan's environmental record". Grist. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
- ^ a b c d McFadden, Robert D. (June 9, 2023). "James G. Watt, Interior Secretary Under Reagan, Dies at 85". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.