David Brower

David Brower played a huge role in the formation of several environmental organizations and was instrumental in the designation of numerous wilderness areas around the country. Many believe his fierce approach as an environmental activist was radical and potentially detrimental to the movement's reputation. Yet, he worked to save wild lands through a flourishing sense of deep commitment and perseverance, making him one of the most dedicated, enthusiastic, and influential leaders in the environmental movement.

Born on July 1, 1912, in Berkeley, California, Bower was Mary and Ross J. Brower's third child of four. After losing his job as a mechanical drawing instructor at the University of California, Brower's father worked as a landlord and janitor. To escape these mundane positions, he took his family on long weekend drives into the woods in a 1916 Maxwell fitted for camping when Brower was only five years old, fostering his love for wilderness at an early age.

Brower rarely strayed far from his parents' watchful eyes on these trips, afraid of the deep ravines and rushing rivers bordering the trails his family hiked. On one trip to Sentinel Dome, a steep hike in Yosemite National park, he refused to even get out of the car.

After Brower's younger brother was born, a brain tumor took his mother's eyesight. At eight years old, Brower became his mother's guide, leading her first around the neighborhoods of Berkeley and eventually into the surrounding hills. Giving "sight" to his mother, the boy, too, appreciated the views from high places and the beauty of the natural world, developing a budding interest in the wilderness in his book, Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run, he recalls:

"Then she got bold, and I got bold, and together we walked from our house, about 200 feet above sea level, to Grizzly Peak–at 1,759 feet, it was the second-highest point in our Berkeley Hills...At the top, I described the vista for her: the hills; the galaxy of wild flowers; the few new houses; a red-tailed hawk floating on the wind, looking for field mice; the fog coming over San Francisco Bay; the glimpse of the open sea through the Golden Gate."

Brower's appreciation for nature also stemmed from a childhood accident in which he lost his front teeth. He spent much of his time alone, playing outside in the woods to escape embarrassment and ridicule from his classmates. In nature, he found solace and peace and grew to feel safe in the world away from other people.

Brower entered the University of California Berkeley at the very early age of 16, interested in studying entomology. Financial hardship forced him to leave the university after his sophomore year to work not far from home at a concession stand in Yosemite. Immersed in park life, Brower explored his surroundings and honed his skills as a mountain climbing enthusiast, having finally overcome his childhood fear of heights. He also befriended renowned nature photographer Ansel Adams, who later inspired him to become a member of the Sierra Club.

In 1930, Brower was hired as a clerk at Echo Lake Camp on the outskirts of Yosemite, one of three summer camps run by the city of Berkeley. He ventured into the wilderness with guests of the camp, met other outdoor enthusiasts, and ascended peaks in the off-season. A guest at Echo Lake Camp introduced Brower to the Sierra Club Bulletin. He often used its content as inspiration for trips into the mountains.

After three years working at the camp, adventuring in the wilds, and diligently reading back issues of their Bulleting, Brower officially joined the Sierra Club. A short tow years later, in 1935, he was hired as publicity manager for Yosemite National Park. He worked this job for the next six years, all the while becoming a more ardent and outspoken advocate for the protection of wild places.

Brower is credited with the first ascents of 70 peaks around the United States. In 1939, he led the initial successful climb of New Mexico;s dangerous Shiprock. As these accomplishments mounted, so did his ideals as an environmentalist. Time in the wilderness fueled his passion for preserving it, and in 1941, Brower was elected to the Sierra Club Board of Directors. He was also hired as an editor at the University of California Press, where he shared an office with his future wife, Anne Hus.

A year later, he enlisted in the army as a mountaineering guide, training troops stationed in the Italian Alps during World War II. He proposed to Anne via mail after a brief courtship. The two were married during Brower's leave on May 1, 1943. The couple built a home on Grizzly Peak in Berkeley, where Brower had led his mother on hikes as a child. He and Anne raised four children and spent the rest of their lives there.

After service in the army, Brower continued to work for the University press as well as editor for the Sierra Club Bulletin, the magazine that had inspired many of his outdoor trips in and around Yosemite.

In 1952, he became Executive Director of the Sierra Club. Though membership grew from 2,000 to 77,000 during his 17-year tenure, he was often thought of as militant and opinionated, his leadership extreme and somewhat controversial. Yet, Brower played an instrumental role in many of the organization's successes. He published the Sierra Club's first book, This Is the American Earth, with Ansel Adams and was instrumental in lobbying for the 1964 signing of the Wilderness Act.

In 1963, the construction of Glen Canyon Dam went forward on the Colorado River despite Brower's efforts to prevent it. He spent large amounts of time and money on the prevention of dam construction in the Grand Canyon, running a controversial full-page advertisement on the back of the New York Times calling for wide-scale opposition to the dam's construction. Brower's aggressive lobbying backfired, and the Sierra Club lost its tax-deductible status in 1967. Two years later, Brower lost his status in the Sierra Club–he was fired.

Widespread controversy did not deter Brower from his passion as an influential, albeit fiery, environmentalist. He founded the environmental advocacy group Friends of the Earth in 1969 and then its sub-organization, the League of Conservation Voters. Today, this organization has several branches around the glob and is a well-known conservation entity.

Brower continued to fight for the preservation of wild landscapes through the years. His impact on the formation of national parks across the nation stretches from Alaska to Cape Cod. Always passionate about the prevention of dams, he continuously work to keep construction out of the Grand Canyon, the Yukon, and Dinosaur National Monument. In 1982, he founded another environmental organization, the Earth Island Institute, working for environmental and social justice.

At times, Brower's strict and extreme viewpoints on wilderness protection made the road rocky, but he never strayed form his ultimate goals of preservation. In honor of his dedication to wildland preservation, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times, in 1978, 1979, and 1998. Though often isolating, his commitment never wavered. He remains one of the environmental movement's most respected advocates.

David Brower passed away on Sunday November 5, 2000, at the home he and Anne built on Grizzly Peak. His voice lives on through the numerous organizations he had a hand in creating, and his legacy still inspires the thoughts and actions of today's wilderness lovers around the world.

"Do you have magic in you? You bet. Magic is that little genetic genius that has been evolving for three billion years: It connects us all to each other and to everything that has come before and still lives on the planet. That is some magic, and it was formed in wilderness. Let us begin. Let us restore the Earth. Let the mountains talk, and the rivers run. Once more, and forever."

-David Brower (Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run)

Timeline

1912  Born to Mary Barlow and Ross J. Brower, Berkeley, California.

1918  First camping trip to Yosemite National Park with family.

1933  Joins Sierra Club.

1939  Leads first ascent of Shiprock in New Mexico.

1941  Becomes editor at the University of California Press. Voted to Board of Directors of Sierra Club.

1942-1945  Called to duty WWII, 10th Mountain Division.

1943  Marries Anne Hus.

1952  Hired as Executive Director of Sierra Club.

1956  Defeat of proposal to put dams in Dinosaur National Monument.

1960  Formation of Sierra Club Foundation.

1963  Completion of Glen Canyon Dam on Colorado River.

1964  Wilderness Act signed.

1967  Construction of Grand Canyon Dams stopped. Sierra Club loses tax-deductible statue due to aggressive lobbying.

1969  Fired from Sierra Club, Founds Friends of the Earth and League of Conservation Voters.

1970  Friends of the Earth established in the United Kingdom and France.

1978  Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize. Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for the second time.

1982  Founds Earth Island Institute.

1998  Elected to Board of Directors of the Native Forest Council.

1994  Co-Founds the Ecological Council of the Americas.

1998  Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for the third time. Receives Blue Planet Prize from the Asahi Glass Foundation of Japan.

1999  Founds Alliance for Sustainable Jobs and the Environment.

2000  Passes away at home in Berkeley, California.

References

Brower, D. (1990). For Earth's Sake: The life and Times of David Brower. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs-Smith Publisher. 

Brower, D. (1995). Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. 

David Brower. People Weekly, 33(17), 103-106. CNN. (2000). Environmentalist David Brower Dead at 88. 

Earth Island Institute. (n.d.). David Ross Brower: 1912-2000.

Schrepfer, S. (Interview). (1974-1978). Personal Interview with David R. Brower: Environmental Activist, Publicist, and Prophet. Berkeley: Regents of the University of California and the Sierra Club, 1980. 

Weiss, D. (2002). Ecology Hall of Fame: David Brower 1912 - 2000.

Wikipedia. (2007). David R. Brower.