Stephen Tyng Mather (1867 - 1930) was a pioneering American industrialist and conservationist. He was the president and owner of the Thorkildsen-Mather Borax Company, which made him a millionaire, and he became the first director of the National Park Service. He felt that the scenery should be the first criterion in establishing a park. He introduced park concessions to the national parks system, allowing vending of basic amenities and necessities to park visitors, including nature study aids.

Various places within national park sites are named after Mather, including Mather Point on the south rim of the Grand Canyon and Mather Gorge on the border of Maryland and Virginia. Stephen Tyng Mather High School in Chicago, Illinois is also named after him.

External link

• The National Park Service Biography

1867 births | 1930 deaths