Stewart Udall dead at age 90

WASHINGTON, March 20 (UPI) -- Stewart Udall, the former interior secretary who spearheaded the U.S. environmental movement, died Saturday at age 90 at his New Mexico home, his family said.

A family statement said he died of natural causes.

The last surviving member of President John F. Kennedy's original 1961 Cabinet (former Labor Secretary Willard Wirtz was appointed in 1962 to succeed Arthur Goldberg), as interior secretary under Kennedy and President Lyndon Johnson he led the drive to pass landmark environmental legislation, such as the Wilderness Act and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Politico reported.

He also expanded the National Park Service and was an icon in the environmental movement, the report said.

Udall was the head of a family of Western Democrats that includes two current senators, Politico said. Udall was succeeded as an Arizona representative in Congress by his brother and former partner, Morris, who was also a presidential candidate. His nephew, Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., and son, Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., serve in the Senate now.

The son of an Arizona Supreme Court justice, Stewart Udall also served as a B-24 gunner in World War II, Politico said.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar issued a statement on hearing of his predecessor's death: "Stewart Udall was one of the greatest secretaries of the interior in my lifetime. Secretary Udall, who also served in the U.S. House of Representatives, was a pioneer and visionary in protecting America's natural resources and cultural heritage who exemplified his family's commitment to public service.

"In January of last year he shared with me his continued vision of how to move forward with a renewed commitment for preserving and conserving America's great natural and cultural landscapes in the 21st century," the statement said. "Stewart Udall will be greatly missed and my thoughts and prayers go out to Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico and to his entire family."