University of Virginia Library

Dismissal From Post

His private letter to Mr.
Nixon found its way to the
press and his continuing
emergence as a critic of certain
Administration policies won
him plaudits from the young,
but set in motion the chain of
events culminating in his
dismissal from his Cabinet
post.

A White House statement on
Hickel's removal said "essential
elements of mutual
confidence" did not exist
between the President and Mr.
Hickel.

Elaborating on the dismissal
a White House aide said,
"Essentially, Wally Hickel just
isn't a team player–and that is
one thing the President won't
tolerate for very long."

Mr. Hickel had been bitterly
opposed by conservationists
when he was nominated for the
Cabinet post, and he was
approved only after five days

of grilling by the Senate
Interior Committee. Ironically,
it was his position as protector
of the environment that led to
the accusation that he was
hindering industrial progress.

Mr. Hickel was not for
"conservation just for
conservation's sake." He
believed that there should be a
balance of developing resources
and protecting them.

"I think the federal
government has the duty to
figure out what is the wisest
use of a stretch of beach, a
body of water, or sections of
public domain."

"A program of all
preservation is obviously
wrong. We have to use our
resources in order to live," Mr.
Hickel stated.

Mr. Hickel was concerned
with minimizing chances of
pollution from off-shore gas
exploration and operation and
exploring oceans for maximum
future utilization of their
fisheries, minerals, and other
resources.