Guide to the William Penn Mott, Jr. Papers

This finding aid describes the William Penn Mott, Jr. Papers, part of the NPS History Collection. To search this guide for names, places, key words, or phrases enter Ctrl F on your keyboard (command key + F key on a Mac). Request an in-person research appointment or get more information by contacting the archivist.

William Penn Mott, Jr. (NPS History Collection, HFCA 1607)

Collection Overview

Collection Number: HFCA 1645 (Series I.A.12)
Creator: Mott, William Penn, Jr. (1909-1992)
Title: William Penn Mott, Jr. Papers
Dates: 1968-1992 (bulk dates: 1981-1988)
Extent: 2.4 LF
Language of Materials: English

Digitized Copies: This collection has not been digitized.

Conditions Governing Access: This collection is open to research use.
Conditions Governing Use and Reproduction: Some of the reports and other reference materials in this collection were not produced by the NPS and may not be in the public domain. See https://rightsstatements.org/page/CNE/1.0/?language=en. See also the NPS general copyright & restrictions information.
Provenance: This collection was assembled from copies of documents sent by the NPS Washington Office and materials found in the NPS History Collection prior to 2010.
Processing Note: This collection was processed by Emily L. Richardson in 2017. Some materials had been previously processed by History Associates, Incorporated. The finding aid was updated for the internet by Eleanore Kohorn in November 2025.

Rights Statements for Archival Description: This guide is in the public domain.
Preferred Citation: William Penn Mott, Jr. Papers, NPS History Collection (HFCA 1645)
Location of Repository: NPS History Collection, Harpers Ferry Center, PO Box 50, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425

Related Materials:

• Assembled Historic Records of the National Park Service (HFCA 1645), NPS History Collection
• National Park Service Oral History Collection (HFCA 1817), NPS History Collection
• Records of NPS Directors, National Archives and Records Administration (RG 79.3.2)
• William Mott Penn’s desk set is part of the NPS History Collection

Biographical Note

William Penn Mott, Jr. was born on October 19, 1909, in New York City, New York. He moved to Jonesville, Michigan, in 1925, where his interest in nature blossomed. This passion led him to dedicate his life to the preservation of the nation’s natural resources. Mott earned a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from Michigan State University in 1931, and a master’s degree from the University of California, Berkley. He married his wife Ruth in 1934 and the couple settled in the San Francisco, California area.

Mott began his NPS career as a landscape architect at the NPS Western Regional Office in 1933. In this role, he served as supervisor of landscaping projects of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA). The constant travel required for this position left him with little time to spend with his family. In 1940 Mott left the NPS to start his own landscaping business, which allowed him to spend more time at home.

His work was highly regarded and led to his appointment as superintendent of parks for the City of Oakland in 1946. Over the next seventeen years, Mott helped reshape the city’s parks. He earned the respect of his staff through his open management style. In 1962 he was named general manager of the East Bay Regional Park District in San Francisco. During his tenure he more than doubled the land allocated for parks, increased the number of parks from five to twenty-five, and attracted more than triple the number of visitors to the city’s parks.

Governor Ronald Reagan appointed him as director of California’s Department of Parks and Recreation in 1967. Mott added an additional 154,000 acres to California’s 800,000 acres of state park system. His work led to the addition of 24 new areas to the state system, some of which were added after he left the position in 1974. After his departure, Mott continued his efforts to improve the parks of California. He served as general manager of the East Bay Zoological Society (overseeing the Oakland Zoo) and as president of the California State Park Foundation, a non-profit organization he founded in 1969.

Following his election as president of the United States, Reagan turned to his former appointee, appointing Mott the 12^th director of the NPS in 1985. During this tenure, he introduced his “Twelve Point Plan,” to: protect the parks, better serve the public, and generally improve the management of the NPS. Points of his plan included developing long-term strategic plans; encouraging public interest in the interpretation programs of the parks; advancing the understanding of the functions of the NPS; improving facilities at parks; and developing better relationships between the parks and concessioners.

Mott served as NPS director until April 1989 when President George H. W. Bush replaced him with James Ridenour. However, he continued to work with the NPS as a special assistant for the director of the Western Region, overseeing the transition of the Presidio in San Francisco from a military unit to an NPS unit. Mott died from pneumonia in 1992.

Sources:

“William Penn Mott, Jr., National Park Service Director.” NPS Courier, Vol. 30, No. 5. Available online at http://npshistory.com/newsletters/courier/courier-v30n5.pdf

“12^th National Park Service Director William Penn Mott, Jr.” Available online at https://www.nps.gov/articles/director-penn-mott.htm

Scope and Content Note

Documents from Director Mott’s NPS tenure, primarily from 1985 and 1986. Some of the material predates his tenure and was most likely used for reference purposes. Materials include correspondence, reports and plans, clippings, newsletters, and publications relating to marketing, legislative files, appropriations and budget matters, and park proposals.

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

Container List

BOX 01
Folder 01: Alaska Parks Funding Dilemma, 1985
Folder 02: Appropriations and Budget: Briefing on Fiscals 1985, 1986, and 1987 Budgets, May 1985 [1 of 2]
Folder 03: Appropriations and Budget: Briefing on Fiscals 1985, 1986, and 1987 Budgets, May 1985 [2 of 2]
Folder 04: Appropriations and Budget: Congressional Appropriations Bills, 1984
Folder 05: Appropriations and Budget: Fiscal Year 1986: Budget Development, 1984
Folder 06: Appropriations and Budget: Fiscal Year 1986: Budget Overview, 1984
Folder 07: Appropriations and Budget: Fiscal Year 1986: Park Restoration and Improvement Program (PRIP), 1984-1985
Folder 08: Appropriations and Budget: Glen Canyon National Recreational Area Operating Deficiencies and Proposed Five-Year Concessioner Expansion, June 1985
Folder 09: Certificate: Lifetime Member of the Nation Park Service Employees and Alumni Association, 1985
Folder 10: Fire Management Policy Review, 1988
Folder 11: Legislative Issues: 99th Congress: General Issues, 1984-1985
Folder 12: Legislative Issues: 99th Congress: Park-Specific Issues, 1984-1985

BOX 02
Folder 01: Legislative Issues: Concerns, 1985
Folder 02: Legislative Issues: Concerns: Alaska Region, 1985
Folder 03: Legislative Issues: Concerns: Cultural Resources, 1985
Folder 04: Legislative Issues: Concerns: Denver Service Center and Harpers Ferry Center, 1985
Folder 05: Legislative Issues: Concerns: Mid-Atlantic Region, 1985
Folder 06: Legislative Issues: Concerns: Midwest Region, 1985
Folder 07: Legislative Issues: Concerns: National Capital Region, 1985
Folder 08: Legislative Issues: Concerns: North Atlantic Region, 1985
Folder 09: Legislative Issues: Concerns: Pacific Northwest Region, 1985
Folder 10: Legislative Issues: Concerns: Park Operations, 1985
Folder 11: Legislative Issues: Concerns: Personnel and Administrative Services, 1985
Folder 12: Legislative Issues: Concerns: Planning and Development, 1985
Folder 13: Legislative Issues: Concerns: Rocky Mountain Region, 1985
Folder 14: Legislative Issues: Concerns: Southeast Region, 1985
Folder 15: Legislative Issues: Concerns: Southwest Region, 1985
Folder 16: Legislative Issues: Concerns: Western Region, 1985
Folder 17: Legislative Issues: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings, 1986
Folder 18: Legislative Issues: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings: Alaska Region, 1986
Folder 19: Legislative Issues: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings: Denver Service Center, 1986
Folder 20: Legislative Issues: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings: Harpers Ferry Center, 1986
Folder 21: Legislative Issues: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings: Mid-Atlantic Region, 1986
Folder 22: Legislative Issues: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings: Midwest Region, 1986
Folder 23: Legislative Issues: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings: National Capital Region, 1986
Folder 24: Legislative Issues: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings: North Atlantic Region, 1986
Folder 25: Legislative Issues: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings: Pacific Northwest Region, 1986
Folder 26: Legislative Issues: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings: Rocky Mountain Region, 1986
Folder 27: Legislative Issues: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings: Southeast Region, 1986
Folder 28: Legislative Issues: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings: Southwest Region, 1986
Folder 29: Legislative Issues: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings: Western Region, 1986
Folder 30: Legislative Issues: Top Priority Issues in the Alaska Region, 1985
Folder 31: Legislative Issues: Yellowstone Briefing, 1985
Folder 32: National Park Service Memoranda, 1988
Folder 33: Newsletter: “Dateline: NRPA,” May 1985
Folder 34: Newsletter: “TPL Update,” 1985
Folder 35: Obituary, September 23, 1992
Folder 36: Personnel at WASO and Regions, 1985
Folder 37: Plans: 12-Point Plan, 1985 [1 of 2]
Folder 38: Plans: 12-Point Plan, 1985 [2 of 2]

BOX 03
Folder 01: Plans: 12-Point Plan: Western Regional Areas: American Memorial Park to Lehman Caves, 1985
Folder 02: Presentation: “Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas: An Update on Recent Developments,” 1986
Folder 03: Presentation: “Maintenance Management System for Rocky Mountain National Park,” presented by DeLeuw, Cather, and Company, 1985
Folder 04: Proposals: Alternate Location for the National Maritime Museum and Historic Ship Fleet, China Basin, San Francisco, California, 1985
Folder 05: Proposals: Development and Implementation of a Feasibility Study and an Educational Program for a Natural Assets Trust Fund, 1985
Folder 06: Proposals: “Great Fabric of America: 200 Years of the United States Constitution,” Exhibit for Independence National Historical Park, 1985
Folder 07: Proposals: “Independence Data Base Project” from the Eastern National Park and Monument Association, Inc. to Gannett Foundation, 1985
Folder 08: Point Reyes Memo, May 1985
Folder 09: Reference: Administrative Sub-Task Report on Administration, 1975
Folder 10: Reference: Basic Operation, Preliminary Assessment, March 1982
Folder 11: Reference: “Birth of the National Park Service: The Founding Years, 1913-33,” by Horace Albright as told to Robert Cahn, 1985
Folder 12: Reference: Book: “Bent’s Old Fort: An Archeological Study,” 1975 [book inscribed by author to Director Gary Everhardt]

BOX 04
Folder 01: Reference: Briefing Statements: Management and Operations, 1980
Folder 02: Reference: Brochure: “Passage of Time Has Created a Major Problem in the National Parks,” circa 1980
Folder 03: Reference: Career Enhancement Program, 1982-1983
Folder 04: Reference: Challenges Facing the Secretary of the Interior, 1984
Folder 05: Reference: Congressional Committees, circa 1985
Folder 06: Reference: Dedication: “100 kW Peak Photovoltaic Power System at the Natural Bridges Monument, Utah,” June 1980
Folder 07: Reference: Director’s Briefing: Budget, 1981-1982
Folder 08: Reference: Director’s Briefing: State of the Parks Oversight Hearing, February 1982
Folder 09: Reference: Director’s Briefing: Threats to Cultural Resources, 1982
Folder 10: Reference: Grizzly Bear Status, 1984-1985
Folder 11: Reference: Hamilton Stores Gift and Food Issues, 1968-1983
Folder 12: Reference: Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor, 1981-1984
Folder 13: Reference: “Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sweet Auburn,” circa 1983
Folder 14: Reference: Publication: “National Parks: The Magazine of the National Parks and Conservation Association,” November/December 1981 [addressed to Director Russell Dickenson]
Folder 15: Reference: Redwoods Litigation, 1981
Folder 16: Reference: Report: “Alternatives for Land Protection: A Review of Case Studies in Eight National Parks,” 1982
Folder 17: Reference: Report: Comptroller General: “Lands in the Lake Chelan National Recreational Area Should Be Returned to Private Ownership,” 1981

BOX 05
Folder 01: Reference: Report: Internal Control Program, 1984
Folder 02: Reference: Report: National Park Service in Michigan, 1979
Folder 03: Reference: Report: National Park Service in Minnesota, 1979
Folder 04: Reference: Report: Organization and the Employee in an Era of Change: The National Parks Service Employee Survey of 1983: Statistical Abstract,” 1984
Folder 05: Reference: Report: “Secretary of the Interior James G. Watt: A Review and Recommendations on animal Problems and Related Management Needs in Units of the National Park System,” by George Wright Society, 1981
Folder 06: Reference: Report: “State of the Parks – 1980: A Report to Congress,” 1980
Folder 07: Reference: Report: “Study of Alternatives: Sweeney Ridge,” 1979
Folder 08: Reference: Report: “A Year of Progress: Preparing for the 21st Century,” 1982
Folder 09: Reference: Reprint: “National Parks USA: Massimo Vignelli Redesigns the Publications of the American National Park Service,” from “International Journal of Graphic Art and Applied Art” (Switzerland), January/February 1984
Folder 10: Reference: San Mateo County: Grant of Scenic and Recreational Easement, 1969
Folder 11: Reference: San Mateo County: Title Insurance, 1983
Folder 12: Reference: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area Gifts Catalog, 1982
Folder 13: Reference: Scrapbook: Federal and Indian Lands in the U.S., 1984
Folder 14: Reference: Scrapbook: Statute of Liberty-Ellis Island Centennial Commission, 1984 [imprinted name of Director Russell Dickenson]
Folder 15: Reference: Sweeney Ridge, 1984
Folder 16: Reference: Yosemite: General Management Plan: Visitor Use, Park Operations and Development, circa 1980
Folder 17: Reference: Yosemite: National Park System Advisory Board and Council, October 1983
Folder 18: Reference: Yosemite: Secretarial Issue Document: General Management Plan, circa 1980
Folder 19: Reference: Yosemite: “Yosemite-El Portal Master Plan and Economic Feasibility Analysis,” prepared by Yosemite Institute, 1980
Folder 20: Reports: “Fort Union Trading Post: Brief Historical and Developmental Summary,” 1985
Folder 21: Reports: Glen Canyon National Recreational Area, 1985
Folder 22: Reports: Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., May 1985

BOX 06
Folder 01: Reports: Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., June 1985
Folder 02: Reports: “Study of the Data Bases in the National Park System and the Future Role of Private Enterprise in Their Development,” by Saratoga Tax Act Consultants, 1984
Folder 03: Reports: Task Force Management Report on Maintenance Management Systems, 1984-1985
Folder 04: Reports: “U.S. 209 Congressional Commission Report: Transportation Improvement Program for the Tri-State Area of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey,” volumes 1-2, circa 1984
Folder 05: Safeway Stores Poster Promotion: “America, Home of Dreams,” 1985
Folder 06: Teton Science School: Grand Teton Environmental Education Center, 1985
Folder 07: Voyageurs National Park Information Packet, 1985

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