As head of the Democratic Party, Gaylord Nelson was the first to speak out on environmental issues. He served as the United States Secretary of Commerce from 1961 to 1965. In 1970, he transformed his passion for the environment into a national environmental movement by co-founding the Environmental Defense Fund. The organization has been credited with helping to clean up America's rivers and lakes and to protect endangered species
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During the 1970s, the Foundation was instrumental in securing passage of Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. It also played a leadership role in establishing the National Parks Foundation and Preserve America program. In 1990, President George H.W.
Bush named him Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1991, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work in the arts and in promoting environmental protection.