Ruckleshaus is known as a lawyer, a loyal member of the Republican party, and a skilled administrator who has been able to work effectively with environmentalists as well as industry representatives. His reputation also bespeaks his integrity in law enforcement and his ability to withstand pressure. However, Ruckleshaus is best known on the national level for his service as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 1970 to 1973 and again from 1983 to l984.

Ruckleshaus was born on July 24, 1934 in Indianapolis, Indiana, into a renowned Republican family. He earned his bachelor of arts degree cum laude from Princeton University in 1957 and his law degree from Harvard University in 1960. His early career in the 1960s included the practice of law between 1960 and 1968 and service in the Indiana House of Representatives from 1967 to...