Carl Schurz

Carl Schurz (1829–1906) fought with the German revolutionary army against the Prussians before emigrating to America in 1852. He attained his U.S. citizenship while living in Wisconsin. An early supporter of Abraham Lincoln's presidential bid, Schurz served as his envoy to Spain, a brigadier general of a German regiment during the Civil War, and investigator of conditions in southern states after the war. He became a newspaper editor in Detroit and then in St. Louis and was elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri. President Hayes appointed Schurz to be secretary of the Interior, where he made further reforms to civil service and Indian Affairs. He took an enlightened approach to the treatment of tribes. In advocating for the creation of federal forest preserves, Schurz became the Department's first notable conservationist. The U.S. Geological Survey was founded during his tenure. He left Washington, D.C., and politics for New York City, where he edited the New York Evening Post, wrote for Harper’s Weekly and became president of the National Civil Service Reform League. There are numerous commemorations of his legacy, including Mount Schurz in Yellowstone; a World War II Liberty ship; Schurz Park, which serves as the grounds of the New York City mayor's mansion; and a 1983 U.S. postage stamp.