11 Facts About Edgar Wayburn

Edgar Arthur Wayburn was an American environmentalist who served as the president of the Sierra Club five times in the 1960s.

Edgar Wayburn has been recognized as one of the least-known yet most successful defenders of America's natural heritage.

Edgar Wayburn was a direct descendant of Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger, a prominent early Jewish leader in San Francisco and rabbi of Congregation Emanu-El.

Edgar Wayburn graduated from the University of Georgia in 1926 and from Harvard Medical School in 1930.

Edgar Wayburn was elected to the executive committee of the local Sierra Club chapter and established its first conservation committee.

In 1947, Edgar Wayburn married Peggy Elliott, and together they actively participated in key conservation battles of their time, aiming to preserve wild places for future generations to explore and enjoy.

Notably, Edgar Wayburn played a central role in the establishment of Redwoods National Park and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and contributed to the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.

Edgar Wayburn published his memoir Your Land and Mine: Evolution of a Conservationist in 2004.

Edgar Wayburn died of natural causes on the evening of March 5,2010 at the age of 103.

Edgar Wayburn was survived by four children: Cynthia Wayburn, Diana Wayburn, Laurie Wayburn, and William Wayburn.

Edgar Wayburn served five terms as the Sierra Club's elected President, and was named the Club's Honorary President in 1993.