Donald Paul Hodel was born May 23, 1935 in Portland, Oregon. He received a B.A. in Government from Harvard University in 1957 and a J.D. from the Oregon School of Law in 1960. He married Barbara Beecher Stockman in 1957. He was President of the National Electric Reliability Council from 1978 to 1980 and Deputy Administrator from 1969 to 1972 and Administrator from 1972 to 1977, of the Bonneville Power Administration. He served as Under Secretary of the Interior from 1981 to 1982. He was nominated to be Secretary of Energy November 5, 1982, confirmed on December 8, 1982, and served November 5, 1982 to February 7, 1985. He served as Secretary of the Interior from February 8, 1985 to January 20, 1989. He is best known for his controversial "Hodel policy" during his tenure as Secretary of the Interior, which stated that disused dirt roads and footpaths could be considered right-of-ways under RS 2477. The Hodel policy was rescinded in 1997. Hodel moved to Colorado where he engaged in the energy consulting business, and served on various charitable and corporate boards of directors. He served from 1997 to 1999 as President of Christian Coalition, a nonprofit conservative traditional values group. From May, 2003, until March, 2005, he served as President and CEO of Focus on the Family, a nonprofit evangelical Christian organization.
From the description of Hodel, Donald Paul, 1935- (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10570313
