The Legacy Continues

The Udall Brothers: Voices For The Environment

Mo Udall with Native American youth on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, 1967.

Morris K. Udall in front of the U.S. Capitol, 1976.

In 1980, Mo Udall was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease; he would continue his work in Congress until 1991, when the effects of his condition worsened. Mo died in 1998, nearly a decade before Stewart (d. 2010). Today, there are numerous research centers throughout the United States, collectively investigating treatment methods and possible cures for Parkinson's Disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Morris K. Udall with Norma Udall, 1990s.

The Morris K. Udall Foundation Headquarters in Tucson, Arizona, 2003.

Congress recognized Mo's service in 1992 with the establishment of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation. (Amended in 2009 as the Morris K. Udall & Stewart L. Udall Foundation, known in short form as the Udall Foundation). The Udall Foundation provides annual scholarships, fellowships, and internships to students pursuing environmentally-focused careers or careers in Native American health care and tribal public policy.

"The Udall Foundation’s mission is to provide programs to promote leadership, education, collaboration, and conflict resolution in the areas of environment, public lands, and natural resources in order to strengthen Native nations, assist federal agencies and others to resolve environmental conflicts, and to encourage the continued use and appreciation of our nation’s rich resources." (https://www.udall.gov/AboutUs/MissionAndHistory.aspx)

Through the existence of the Udall Foundation, the legacy of Morris and Stewart's love for the environment and empathy toward the indigenous inhabitants of North America lives on through its scholarship, fellowship, and internship awards to college students--particularly Native American college students--who could end up contributing to environmental and Native American issues in a similar capacity to the Udalls' through tribal, civic, state, or federal service.

The Udall Foundation also operates the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (now the John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution, or NCECR), the only federal agency dedicated to this specific area of expertise.

"In 1998, Congress amended the Udall Foundation’s enabling legislation to establish the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, now called the John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution (National Center or NCECR), as part of the Udall Foundation to provide impartial collaboration, consensus-building, and conflict resolution services. Our work enhances multiparty problem solving and decision-making by helping parties work together, build a shared understanding of issues, address concerns, and develop strong outcomes. As part of this work, we provide a training program to develop skills and build workforce capacity in collaboration, communication, problem solving, and conflict resolution. We focus on a wide range of environmental, natural resources, and public lands issues involving the Federal Government." (https://www.udall.gov/ourprograms/institute/institute.aspx)