HERITAGE
LEADERSHIP*
A Conversation with Bob Stanton:
A Life Dedicated to Elevating the Human Spirit
In front of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, the Honorable Bob Stanton addresses students from Washington, DC; Virginia; and Maryland schools at a Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. Photo by the National Park Service.
Thank you to our contributing authors: Bob Stanton, with Lisa Overholser, Christina Cid, and Theresa Coble
*The posture of a heritage leader is one of cultural humility, a readiness to rebalance power dynamics, and reciprocity.
In this installment of the Heritage Leadership series, we will spotlight the Honorable Robert G. Stanton who served as a first-time seasonal park ranger at Grand Teton National Park in 1962. He went on to lead the National Park Service (NPS), serving as the NPS Director from 1997-2001. Since he was the first (and only) African American Director of the NPS, our conversation with him about his life journey is by turns instructive, inspirational, and an invitation to follow in his footsteps.
“Honorable Bob,” as he’s affectionately known to all of us in the heritage leadership Ed.D. program at the University of Missouri – St. Louis, likes to quote influential people like Harriet Tubman, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, Martin Luther King Jr., and others. Perhaps because Bob’s early career was launched when Stewart Lee Udall served as Secretary of the Interior under President John F. Kennedy, Bob frequently quotes President Kennedy.
Under Bob’s influence, it’s fair to say that this quote has become a rallying cry for all of us in the heritage leadership cohort:
I am certain that when the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for our victories or defeats in battle or politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.
~John F. Kennedy.
It’s an honor to engage Bob Stanton in conversation about his formative influences, his leadership journey, the mentors who encouraged him every step of the way, and the lessons he distilled from his life experiences. He is our hero—a true orator, park ranger, public servant, and friend. We love you, Bob!
Bob’s Formative Early Experiences
Lisa:
Honorable Bob, it’s such a pleasure to speak with you and hear what insights you have for first-time interpreters! You know, I’ve heard you talk about growing up in Mosier Valley, Texas, outside Fort Worth in the 1940s and 1950s. You attended segregated schools. You’ve lived a history that many have only read about. How did those early experiences shape you?
Bob:
Immensely. I lived in a small, close-knit community that was founded shortly after the U. S. Civil War by African Americans who formerly lived on plantations. It’s integrated now, but back then, everything was segregated. I remember, like it was yesterday, being a third grader who attended school in a decrepit building with limited coal heat, outdoor restrooms, and hand-me-down books from the white school.
A group of parents—including my parents—petitioned the all-white school board to provide better conditions under the “separate but equal” doctrine and Texas state laws requiring segregation in public schools. The school board refused. Instead, they offered to bus us, first through eighth graders, to a school in Fort Worth, which would be a thirty-mile round trip each day. The parents deemed this unacceptable. They engaged legal counsel from the NAACP and eventually got a new school built in Mosier Valley. I finished my middle school years there; however, I was still required to be bused to Fort Worth for my junior and senior years.
While the court case was being heard, the parents turned a local church into a makeshift school. The parents—and even us kids sometimes—attended the court proceedings. This gave us a front-row seat to democracy in action. It kindled a desire to pursue my education despite these (and future) challenges. But more than anything, I respected the courage of the parents who were willing to risk all for the educational development of their children.
Lisa:
What incredible role models they must have been for you. Your parents, and other parents in your hometown, banded together to fight against injustice at great risk to themselves, their employment and general welfare of the Mosier Valley community.
Bob:
Witnessing these events instilled a core professional value that found expression during my years of service at the National Park Service (NPS). I always prioritized the enrichment of young peoples’ lives through the natural and cultural resource preservation and educational programs of the NPS. I wanted the NPS to nurture responsible citizens and foster a commitment to the development of civic society. These goals transcend the confines of the national parks themselves.
Bob Stanton and President Bill Clinton, seated at the confluence of Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia, are participating in a program to celebrate Earth Day. Photo by the National Park Service.
Lisa:
You blazed a trail from being a small-town kid in Texas to the first African American Director of the NPS. Tell us about that journey.
Bob:
In many ways, it was a long journey and I had mentors all along the way. I went from I.M. Terrell High School in Ft. Worth to Huston-Tillotson College (now university), a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) located in Austin, Texas. It was during college that I first learned of the NPS and career opportunities in conservation.
At the time, there was only one African American park ranger in the NPS. His name was Noble Samuel and he was at Virgin Islands National Park. I went to college during the height of the civil rights movement. Stewart Lee Udall, the Secretary of the Interior at the time, decided the NPS needed a more diverse workforce. He wanted African Americans to work in parks as seasonal rangers. He wanted to send Black students to places where African Americans had never worked before.
And so, recruiters came to Huston-Tillotson and other HBCUs. They said, “We are serious about this. Each student selected for employment ...will receive a letter from the Secretary himself [confirming his seasonal ranger appointment].” That’s how I and four others from Huston-Tillotson students were selected to become seasonal park rangers, two at Grand Teton National Park, two at Rocky Mountain National Park, and one at Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 1962. I still have Secretary Udall’s letter, dated April 4, 1962. Please remember, this was two years before the enactment of the watershed legislation signed into Public Law by President Lyndon B. Johnson which we know as the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Lisa:
It sounds like this was a pivotal moment in your life. What was it like working at Grand Teton National Park, and how did that experience affect you?
Bob:
I had never visited a national park before I worked at Grand Teton. My family had never been to a national park. We had never experienced taking a traditional summer vacation. During the summer you worked in the field. I mean that’s it. Period. So, there was a newness. It was my first trip out of Texas, my first trip on a train, and my first time working within an integrated workforce.
I took the train from Ft. Worth to Rock Springs, Wyoming, and from there I took a bus to Jackson Hole—but I arrived a day early. I assumed there would be Black families that I could stay with, because I didn’t have money for a hotel room. But I was told, “Nope, no Black folks live up here." A very kind gentleman who owned and operated cabins put me up overnight until I relocated the next day to government housing in the park. One night, I went out with three other seasonal rangers for an evening in Jackson Hole. We were told, “Sorry, we can’t serve you.” We expected that in the South, but not in Wyoming.
I learned later that the Superintendent and other park managers spoke with the business owner after the incident; during future visits, the African American park rangers had no problem getting service. To me, this embodied the professionalism, the concern for others, and the leadership that I experienced at Grand Teton. These are the qualities that make a profound difference. Again, remember this was two years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and discrimination in public accommodations was legal under the doctrine of “separate but equal.”
LEFT: Bob Stanton attends an event to launch the congressionally authorized Public Lands Corps. The event was attended by Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior, members of the Student Conservation Corps, and the Maryland Youth Conservation Corps.
RIGHT: Bob greets descendants of Japanese-Americans who were held at Manzanar internment camp, now Manzanar National Historic Site. Photos by the National Park Service.
Bob’s Leadership Journey
Theresa:
Honorable Bob, you held numerous positions in the NPS, including Superintendent (National Capital Parks-East and Virgin Islands National Park), Deputy Regional Director (Southeast and National Capital Regions), Assistant and Associate Director for Park Operations (Washington Office), and then Regional Director (National Capital Region). After a long and illustrious career, you retired in January 1997. But your retirement didn’t stick, did it?
Bob:
No, it didn’t. In August 1997, the Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt, called me back to service and recommended me to President Bill Clinton as a candidate for the position of Director of the National Park Service. President Cinton in turn nominated me to the U.S. Senate for confirmation as the 15th director of the National Park service. With deep humility and gratitude for the support of so many, my confirmation was approved unanimously. I was honored and privileged to serve as the Director of the National Park Service from 1997-2001.
Theresa:
As you moved up the ranks through your career, what animated your service and grounded your commitments?
Bob:
Over time, I came to understand that we, as a people and as a nation, have a duty to preserve and protect our heritage. We have a responsibility to help people understand and appreciate our natural and cultural heritage.
But if you were to take a look at the now 429 units of the National Park System, three-fourths of the units speak to something about our human history and development. And some of the stories told or the events commemorated in the national parks are not things that as a nation we should be proud of. Nevertheless, they are places that should inspire hope that we can move beyond those difficulties “toward a more perfect union.”
When parks commemorate contested heritage, from my perspective, that signals that we are maturing as a people and as a nation. It tells me that we can be open and honest about our mistakes and hopefully learn from them. All parks are places of learning, but these parks provide lessons in justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and dignity for all. Who would have thought that we would have a unit in our park system that commemorates the internment of Japanese Americans that came about because of a war-induced state of fear and because of their ancestry. Of course, for first-time interpreters, they’ve never known a world without Manzanar National Historic Site, but it was added during the latter part of my career.
Who would have thought that we would deny citizens a full opportunity to vote because they couldn’t pay the poll tax or didn’t have the necessary literacy level? Now, we have the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail that speaks to the right to vote.
In 1971, Bob Stanton, then Superintendent of National Capital Parks East, spoke at an event to announce that Congress had allocated $413,000 to rehabilitate the home of Frederick Douglass. Seated left to right are Pearl Bailey (actress and singer), Roger C. B. Martin (Secretary of the Interior), and Dr. Jimmy Jones (Special Assistant to Walter Washington, Mayor, DC). Photo by the National Park Service.
Standing in front of a vintage WWII fire truck, Bob Stanton is surrounded by NPS staff and volunteers at Manzanar National Historic Site. Photo by the National Park Service.
In 2011, Bob Stanton is surrounded by members of the NPS Academy cohort at Grand Teton National Park. Bob has participated in the NPS Academy annually for twelve consecutive years. The Park Service hosts the academy to recruit, engage, and train diverse young people to become future park leaders. When this photo was taken, Bob was serving as Senior Advisor to Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior. Photo by the National Park Service.
Theresa:
For me, national parks and heritage sites are places where I can acknowledge, confront, and grieve difficult history. I’ve come to view shared grief as a cleansing experience, and I tend to regard grief as a precursor to healing. But you’ve reminded us that spaces that commemorate ignominious stories should not leave us in a place of shame or despair.
Bob:
I often quote Dr. John Hope Franklin—one of my heroes and a former Chairman of the congressionally authorized National Park System Advisory Board. I keep a transcript of a speech he gave in 2000 close at hand and refer to it often. He said that the “sad places of history are not places where we should wallow in remorse, but rather be moved to a higher resolve to become better citizens.”
Theresa:
As I reflect on your personal and professional experiences, one thing that resonates with me is your ongoing commitment to serve, even in retirement. In 2022, you became a Scholar in Residence for the Heritage Leadership program at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. We’ve been working with doctoral students who are exploring contested heritage at sites nationwide. Their research will be published in a forthcoming book with the working title, Heritage and the Human Spirit. Bob, what has this phase of your work meant to you?
Bob:
I’m deeply inspired by our energetic cohort. It’s my hope, and I think our collective hope as a cohort, that our book will motivate all of us to be better stewards of our collective heritage.
I think our book can rise to the level of other works that have inspired great action. I think of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, a book that moved the nation to protect other species and changed the way we look at our natural environment. I think of Dumping in Dixie by Robert D. Bullard, which helped us understand how environmental injustice affects people and communities. Other examples include the watershed report in 1966 from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, “With Heritage So Rich,” that resulted in the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, or one of the last books by Dr. Martin Luther King, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?
Though chaos does still exist, I think that our book could focus our response by emphasizing: We want community.
During the Save America’s Treasures campaign, Bob Stanton and Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke at events to raise money for historic preservation. Here, Bob and the First Lady greet each other prior to taking the stage at Ellis Island National Monument. Photo by the White House.
Bob Reflects on Interpretation and Leadership
Christina:
Honorable Bob, what do you hope that first-time interpreters will glean from this discussion?
Bob:
I guess, what I realized early on, and I would trace it to my first experiences as a seasonal park ranger at Grand Teton National Park, was that the ultimate success of any program of the Park Service is in direct proportion to the interest, the commitment, the dedication, and the enthusiasm of the employees involved. Without the engagement of the employees, nothing is successful.
And teamwork in those situations, I think, is critical. Based on the experiences I had from Grand Teton onward, I concluded that being part of a team and working with people is key. That’s the bottom line: to be able to work with people. Also, I recently heard a young Baptist minister in Texas say, “I know you hear me, but are you listening?” I think interpreters need to cultivate strong communication skills, especially listening skills.
Christina:
First-time interpreters have to gain mastery of key content areas, but they also have to enlarge their leadership capacity. Do you think interpretive work develops leadership skills?
Bob:
Interpretation helps you frame an issue and create shared meaning and understanding. For example, when you say you are an American, that means that American history is your history. If I say, “I’m an American,” then I need to understand the full dimensions of my history. And doing so should make me a stronger person. Being a stronger person, I can contribute to a stronger “We the People.”
Interpretation is a form of leadership because it preserves autonomy and choice. As Freeman Tilden reminded us in his book, Interpreting Our Heritage, interpretation does not aim to do something to the listener, but rather to provoke the listener to do something for themselves.” Interpretation, from my experience, helps the visitor to deepen their awareness, or broaden their perspectives, or better serve others, or more fully engage in the world around them. It’s important to create opportunities for visitors to be moved to take action. But, that’s a difficult thing to do.
Christina:
This reminds me of the four truth framework that the UMSL researchers are using to understand how sites can explore difficult history (discussed in Legacy’s Sept/Oct 2023 issue). Interpreters, even emerging interpreters, can contribute to a shared understanding of our collective heritage.
Bob:
It is difficult, but truth-telling is important and can provoke action. As John Hope Franklin said in a 2000 speech, “The National Park System must be used to tell the truth; to learn as well as to teach.”
Dr. Franklin understood the importance of scholarship, the need to evaluate historical facts, and that learning is a continuous process of seeking the truth. Further, truth telling rests on the underpinning of research and evaluation. I’d encourage first-time interpreters to not accept existing narratives, but rather to engage actively in seeking out untold, lesser told, or purposefully excluded stories.
Christina:
Dr. Franklin worked to ensure that diverse voices and perspectives were part of the National Park System, didn’t he?
Bob:
Absolutely. We talked about that many times. We understood that you need diverse perspectives when you engage in truth-telling work. I used to say that I want to see the face of America at every park, at every office. That wasn’t always received well. The NPS Leadership Council and I adopted a diversity action plan while I worked for the National Park Service; many didn’t like it. But I think that’s a part of being an effective heritage leader, to sometimes make decisions that are counter to what some people want.
Bob Stanton speaks at a Memorial Day event at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall. Seated to Bob’s right is Colin Powell, a Four-Star General and Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Clinton Administration. Photo by the National Park Service.
During the Save America’s Treasures campaign, Bob Stanton is at Mesa Verde National Park with Hillary Rodham Clinton. At Mesa Verde, Bob made the First Lady an honorary park ranger and presented her with a NPS ranger hat. Photo by the White House.
Christina:
As you reflect upon your career and your experiences, I wonder what specific skills you might encourage first-time interpreters to develop?
Bob:
First, you must have a strong conviction about the importance of this work. Don't waver. Have courage. Have the courage to act. Heritage work is not easy. But have the courage to hang in there. Or, as Harriet Tubman, a conductor on the Underground Railroad would remind us in times of difficulty or uncertainty, keep going, keep going!”
Second, examine yourself. Examine your intentions. Ask yourself, “What is my conviction”? It’s an individual consideration, and your answer will be highly personalized, too. There are those in our society whose choice will be to divide as long as it improves their position.
And really, the glue to all of this is respect. Respect for yourself, and have respect for others. Respect for the differences. A respect for people’s culture, their language, and their background.
Christina:
So many of us are inspired by your experience and your hopefulness. But some interpreters, especially brand-new interpreters, may wonder about the source of your hopefulness, and how you’ve been able to maintain your conviction in the face of adversity. What would you say to those who are new to the field?
Bob:
From an early age, I drew inspiration from the parents in Mosier Valley, Texas, who challenged the system with courage and conviction. We can draw strength from those who came before us, and appreciate the gifts that their sacrifice has bequeathed to us. The great Frederick Douglass spoke to this unity and continuity in his speech Self-Made Man first delivered at Carlisle Indian Industrial Boarding School in Pennsylvania:
Our best and most valued acquisitions have been obtained either from our contemporaries or from those who have preceded us in the field of thought and discovery. We have all either begged, borrowed, or stolen. We have reaped where others have sown, and that which others have strewn, we have gathered...I believe in individuality, but individuals are, to the mass, like waves to the ocean. The highest order of genius is as dependent as is the lowest. It, like the loftiest waves of the sea, derives its power and greatness from the grandeur and vastness of the ocean of which it forms a part. We differ as the waves but are one as the sea.
Our legacy as a nation, it seems to me, is to teach, learn, and grow so that the future is better. There is no greater investment in our future than in our youth. We must bear in mind that our youth have access to more information than ever before, and in ways that were previously unimagined.
As emphasized by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, “Our youth must never lose their zeal for building a better world. They must not be discouraged from aspiring toward greatness, for they are to be the leaders of tomorrow. We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends.”
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed legislation establishing the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. Douglass is recognized as an abolitionist, civil rights advocate, scholar, and statesman. This photo shows the rehabilitated Frederick Douglass home in the Anacostia neighborhood in Washington, DC. Douglass lived in this house from 1877 until he died on the front steps in 1895. The Frederick Douglass NHS was the third unit in the NPS that focused on African American leaders. Before this designation, the George Washington Carver National Monument was established in Missouri in 1943, and the Booker T. Washington National Monument was established in Virginia in 1956. Photo by the National Park Service.
In 1998, Bob Stanton stands in the Oval Office as President Clinton signs into law a bill passed by Congress to authorize the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom is a perpetual program administered by the NPS. Photo by the White House.
A Call to Reflection, A Call to Action
Bob’s journey highlights the important role each of us can play in improving the collective social condition. As Clint Smith writes in his book How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery across America, “In order for our country to collectively move forward, it is not enough to have a patchwork of places that are honest about this history while being surrounded by other spaces that undermine it. It must be a collective endeavor to learn and confront the story of slavery and how it has shaped the world we live in today.”
If this discussion has piqued your interest, dig deeper through these action steps:
- This article is a deeply biographical look at the life and career of the Honorable Robert G. Stanton. Reflect on the advice he gives, the questions he raises, and the example that he provides for all of us.
- Just as this article highlights moments of bravery and courage in effecting social change, turn this inward. Explore your own journey in confronting conflicting narratives and working towards truth-telling. What’s your next step in this journey?
- Join NAI’s Young Professionals Council and the Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (JEDAI) section.
- Participate in NAI’s Mentor Match program (NAI login required), an online networking and career development resource where interpreters from around the globe can register as mentors and/or mentees, exchange knowledge and skills, and enhance their interpretive programs.
- In honor of Honorable Bob’s legacy and words of inspiration, go visit one or more national parks this summer. While there, strike up a conversation with a park ranger about an untold, lesser told, or purposefully excluded story at their site. Compare and contrast that story with what’s happened in and around your site. What are the overarching themes?
Finally, check out these recommended resources:
- Honorable Bob is a Scholar-in-Residence at the University of Missouri - St. Louis and a faculty mentor in the third Heritage Leadership doctoral cohort (HL#3). Modeling his commitment to life-long learning, Bob recommends these HL#3 texts: Clint Smith’s How the Word is Passed, Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass, Adina Langer’s Storytelling in Museums, Eric Klinenberg’s Palaces for the People, and Rachel Louis Martin’s A Most Tolerant Little Town. Consider adding these books to your summer reading list.
- Check out a curated set of DEI resources on NAI’s website.
- We recommend platforms like StoryCorps that amplify diverse voices through initiatives like StoryCorps Historias, Celebrating AANHPI Voices, Military Voices Initiative, Brightness in Black, or StoryCorps Out Loud.
- The Smithsonian Institution encompasses a variety of institutions and initiatives that highlight untold, lesser told, or historically excluded stories. Just a few of their virtual initiatives are included here: North Star: A Digital Journey of African American History, ¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States, Our Shared Future|Reckoning with Our Racial Past, Becoming Visible: Bringing American Women’s History into Focus, and Native Knowledge 360°.
- Ana Elizabeth Rosas posted a blog on the American Historical Association website where she explores The Art of Mentoring. She’s a Chicana historian who teaches at the University of California - Irvine. While her advice is tailored to academic settings, her approach could be adapted for use at heritage sites.
