Harrison Loesch
Encyclopedia
Harrison Loesch Prominent Colorado attorney who became Assistant Secretary of Interior under Richard Nixon
. He served in that position from 1969 to 1973. He was responsible for major changes in the Bureau of Indian Affairs
, National Park Service
, Bureau of Land Management
, and the Division of Territories and Island Possessions, all of which reported directly to him.
Loesch was born in Chicago on March 10, 1916. He was the son of Joseph B. Loesch and Constance Harrison Loesch and grandson of prominent Chicago attorney Frank J. Loesch
. He was raised in Montrose, Colorado
where his parents owned a ranch. He received a B.A. from Colorado College
in 1936 and his LL.B. from Yale University
in 1939. Loesch returned from Yale to practice law in Montrose in 1939, at the firm of Moynihan, Hughes & Knous. He married his wife Louise Mills in 1940. He volunteered and served in World War II with the United States Army Air Corps
. He served in North Africa, then participated in the invasions of Sicily and Italy, and finally in the Normandy Landings, rising from private to the rank of major. After he returned to Montrose, he became a partner at the firm of Strang, Loesch & Kreidler. He then founded his own firm, Loesch, Kreidler & Durham. In 1961 Loesch was elected president of the Colorado Bar Association. His practice was broadly general, but with considerable specialization in resource matters. His clients included numerous mining, electric, and other resource-oriented companies, as well as farmers, ranchers and other individuals and companies.
In March 1969, Loesch was nominated by Richard Nixon for the position of Assistant Secretary of Interior for Public Land Management and confirmed by the Senate. In spite of the title, Loesch’s departments included the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Division of Territories and Island Possessions, as well as the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. He served under Secretary of the Interior Wally Hickel until November, 1970, then under Rogers Morton
.
During his tenure as Assistant Secretary, Loesch was involved in several controversies concerning Native Americans. One of the most notable was the occupation of Interior Department offices in Washington D.C. in 1972 by members of the American Indian Movement
(AIM), led by Dennis Banks
and Russell Means
. Loesch was also intimately involved in negotiating the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
, which was signed in December 1971, and in the settlement of disputes among the Navaho, Zuni and Hopi tribes and the states of Arizona and New Mexico throughout his tenure.
Loesch’s responsibility for the Division of Territories and Island Possessions occasioned several visits to the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, generally referred to as “Micronesia”. During his tenure, Loesch negotiated status agreements for the various territories, which today include Guam
, the Northern Mariana Islands
, and the Federated States of Micronesia
. At the request of island leaders, Loesch drew on his legal background to draft some of the founding documents for these new entities.
In early December, 1972, Loesch received a telephone call from John Ehrlichman
, Assistant to the President, requesting that he immediately release $50,000 from his discretionary fund for use by the White House. Similar requests went out to Assistant Secretaries in other departments. Correctly suspecting that this request was related to the unfolding Watergate scandal
, Loesch insisted on a written memo requesting the money. On December 8, Loesch’s “resignation” was accepted. However, because he was deeply involved in critical negotiations concerning Indian water rights in Arizona, the Nixon White House found it necessary to “unfire” Loesch for several weeks, before “refiring” him on January 20, 1973.
Upon leaving the Interior Department, Loesch became Minority Counsel for the Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs
. In that capacity, he advised Senators and drafted legislation on issues related to water resources, public land management, settlement of Indian claims and territories and possessions. In 1976, he accepted the position of Executive Vice President for Public Affairs with Peabody Coal Company. He retired from that position in 1981 and returned to Montrose, where he was active in local banking and community affairs. He died on November 11, 1997 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
. He served in that position from 1969 to 1973. He was responsible for major changes in the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
, National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
, and the Division of Territories and Island Possessions, all of which reported directly to him.
Loesch was born in Chicago on March 10, 1916. He was the son of Joseph B. Loesch and Constance Harrison Loesch and grandson of prominent Chicago attorney Frank J. Loesch
Frank J. Loesch
Frank Joseph Loesch was a prominent Chicago attorney, reformer and a founder of the Chicago Crime Commission which attempted to combat the widespread corruption and organized crime related violence during Prohibition....
. He was raised in Montrose, Colorado
Montrose, Colorado
The City of Montrose is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Montrose County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 15,479 in 2005. The main road that leads in and out of Montrose is U.S...
where his parents owned a ranch. He received a B.A. from Colorado College
Colorado College
The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell...
in 1936 and his LL.B. from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1939. Loesch returned from Yale to practice law in Montrose in 1939, at the firm of Moynihan, Hughes & Knous. He married his wife Louise Mills in 1940. He volunteered and served in World War II with the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
. He served in North Africa, then participated in the invasions of Sicily and Italy, and finally in the Normandy Landings, rising from private to the rank of major. After he returned to Montrose, he became a partner at the firm of Strang, Loesch & Kreidler. He then founded his own firm, Loesch, Kreidler & Durham. In 1961 Loesch was elected president of the Colorado Bar Association. His practice was broadly general, but with considerable specialization in resource matters. His clients included numerous mining, electric, and other resource-oriented companies, as well as farmers, ranchers and other individuals and companies.
In March 1969, Loesch was nominated by Richard Nixon for the position of Assistant Secretary of Interior for Public Land Management and confirmed by the Senate. In spite of the title, Loesch’s departments included the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Division of Territories and Island Possessions, as well as the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. He served under Secretary of the Interior Wally Hickel until November, 1970, then under Rogers Morton
Rogers Morton
Rogers Clark Ballard Morton was an American politician who served as Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of Commerce under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, respectively...
.
During his tenure as Assistant Secretary, Loesch was involved in several controversies concerning Native Americans. One of the most notable was the occupation of Interior Department offices in Washington D.C. in 1972 by members of the American Indian Movement
American Indian Movement
The American Indian Movement is a Native American activist organization in the United States, founded in 1968 in Minneapolis, Minnesota by urban Native Americans. The national AIM agenda focuses on spirituality, leadership, and sovereignty...
(AIM), led by Dennis Banks
Dennis Banks
Dennis Banks , a Native American leader, teacher, lecturer, activist and author, is an Anishinaabe born on Leech Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota. Banks is also known as Nowa Cumig...
and Russell Means
Russell Means
Russell Charles Means is an Oglala Sioux activist for the rights of Native American people. He became a prominent member of the American Indian Movement after joining the organisation in 1968, and helped organize notable events that attracted national and international media coverage...
. Loesch was also intimately involved in negotiating the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, commonly abbreviated ANCSA, was signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon on December 23, 1971, the largest land claims settlement in United States history. ANCSA was intended to resolve the long-standing issues surrounding aboriginal land claims in...
, which was signed in December 1971, and in the settlement of disputes among the Navaho, Zuni and Hopi tribes and the states of Arizona and New Mexico throughout his tenure.
Loesch’s responsibility for the Division of Territories and Island Possessions occasioned several visits to the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, generally referred to as “Micronesia”. During his tenure, Loesch negotiated status agreements for the various territories, which today include Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
, and the Federated States of Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
. At the request of island leaders, Loesch drew on his legal background to draft some of the founding documents for these new entities.
In early December, 1972, Loesch received a telephone call from John Ehrlichman
John Ehrlichman
John Daniel Ehrlichman was counsel and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs under President Richard Nixon. He was a key figure in events leading to the Watergate first break-in and the ensuing Watergate scandal, for which he was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and perjury...
, Assistant to the President, requesting that he immediately release $50,000 from his discretionary fund for use by the White House. Similar requests went out to Assistant Secretaries in other departments. Correctly suspecting that this request was related to the unfolding Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
, Loesch insisted on a written memo requesting the money. On December 8, Loesch’s “resignation” was accepted. However, because he was deeply involved in critical negotiations concerning Indian water rights in Arizona, the Nixon White House found it necessary to “unfire” Loesch for several weeks, before “refiring” him on January 20, 1973.
Upon leaving the Interior Department, Loesch became Minority Counsel for the Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs
United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
The United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has jurisdiction over matters related to energy and nuclear waste policy, territorial policy, native Hawaiian matters, and public lands....
. In that capacity, he advised Senators and drafted legislation on issues related to water resources, public land management, settlement of Indian claims and territories and possessions. In 1976, he accepted the position of Executive Vice President for Public Affairs with Peabody Coal Company. He retired from that position in 1981 and returned to Montrose, where he was active in local banking and community affairs. He died on November 11, 1997 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.