The Road to the Cabinet
Stewart graduated from the University of Arizona in 1948, and started his own law practice, eventually establishing the Udall & Udall law firm with his brother Morris. He would remain at the firm until his election to Congress; Morris remained with the firm until 1961. The Udall Law Firm, LLP, remains in existence today and makes its home in Tucson.
In his committment to public service, Stewart continued his work for racial integration which ranged from his work at the University of Arizona to Tucson's primary school districts; much of his advocacy occurred before the United States Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. the Board of Education, where, he participated in facilitating the integration of the Ampitheater School District in Tucson.
In 1954, Stewart Udall was elected to Congress from Arizona. As a three-term congressperson (and elected to a fourth), Stewart served on the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs (1955-1960); the House Education and Labor Committee (1955-1956); and the House Committee on Education and Labor (1957-1960).
In surprising many in his home state, but predictable given his Democratic Party affiliation and liberal leanings, Stewart delivered Arizona's key delegate votes to John F. Kennedy during the 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, CA.
Upon his successful election, President Elect Kennedy appointed Stewart to his Cabinet as Secretary of the Interior in 1960; a post he would continue to hold throughout the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. (Stewart would resign his two-term post in 1969 with the onset of the Richard Nixon administration).
As Secretary of the Interior, Stewart continued his civil rights efforts when he threatened the then all-white ownership of the Washington Redskins (now the Washington Commanders) with barring access to their new Washington D.C. Stadium. The stadium had been built on federal land, and as Udall pointed out to the team ownership, the franchise was required to comply with federal laws--this included integration of its NFL team.
The team acquiesced, adding to their roster, Black athlete Bobby Mitchell (their first Black player), who was successful in ending the losing streak of the Washington team franchise.
Secretary Udall's tenure with the Department of the Interior is best known for the aggressive conservation of federal lands: national parks, lakeshores, seashores, wildlife reserves, and historic sites. Stewart's eight-year career as Secretary of the Interior was critical in mid-to-late twentieth century U.S. environmental and conservation initiatives.