Biographical Information
Robert Jasperson was born December 12, 1928 in Washington, D.C. He grew up in a Navy family and attended Annapolis for two years before resigning in order to enroll in the University of Montana's forestry program. After graduation he served as an infantry lieutenant in Korea. He returned to the University of Montana on the G.I. Bill to study law and spent summers as a ranger in Glacier National Park.
In 1960 Jasperson moved to San Francisco and joined a law firm that practiced personal injury cases. He also joined the Sierra Club. When David Brower and Richard Leonard formed the Conservation Law Society of America, Jasperson was hired as Executive Director. In 1968 he did much of the initial legal research for the Conservation Law Society's landmark lawsuit to prevent Walt Disney from building a ski resort in Mineral King. He later became General Counsel for the Save-the-Redwoods League, where he negotiated land acquisitions through both donations and purchases. Jasperson remained active in the Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation, serving on the board until his death on April 15, 2005.
From the guide to the Robert Jasperson papers, 1958-1984, (The Bancroft Library)
