Home > American Home Front WWII > Harold Ickes Biography

Born March 15, 1874

Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania

Died February 3, 1952

Olney, Maryland

Public administrator

In May 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945; served 1933–45; see entry) designated his trusted adviser, Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes, to be the national coordinator for ensuring the military and home front had adequate gasoline and oil in the event the United States entered the war in Europe. The United States did indeed enter the war less than seven months later. Ickes carried out this important responsibility throughout the war years.

Ickes, known for his crusty and combative personality, promoted the orderly development of the nation's rich natural resources throughout his career, including his time as wartime petroleum administrator during World War II (1939–45). Ickes served as secretary of the interior for thirteen years,...