James G. Watt

James G. Watt
43rd United States Secretary of the Interior
In office January 23, 1981 – November 8, 1983
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Cecil Andrus
Succeeded by	William Clark
Member of the Federal Power Commission
In office November 11, 1975 – August 30, 1977
President	Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter
Personal details
Born	James Gaius Watt (1938-01-31)January 31, 1938 Lusk, Wyoming, U.S.
Died	May 27, 2023(2023-05-27) (aged 85) Arizona, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Education	University of Wyoming (BS, JD)

James Gaius Watt (January 31, 1938 – May 27, 2023) was an American lawyer and politician. He was United States Secretary of the Interior from 1981 to 1983. He was called an "anti-environmentalist". He was one of Ronald Reagan's most controversial cabinet appointments.^[1] Watt resigned after saying a controversial remark about affirmative action.^[2]

In 1995, Watt was indicted on 18 counts of felony perjury and obstruction of justice for making false statements before a federal grand jury. He was sentenced to five years probation.

Watt died on May 27, 2023 in Arizona at the age of 85.^[3]

1. ↑ "A look back at Reagan's environmental record". Grist. 2004-06-11. Archived from the original on 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
2. ↑ "556. James G Watt, US Secretary of the Interior. Simpson's Contemporary Quotations. 1988". Archived from the original on September 20, 2000. Retrieved October 4, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
3. ↑ "Former Secretary of the Interior James "Jim" Watt dies at 85". Wyolife. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.