DR. WILLIAM T. Pecora, Under Secretary of the Interior, was a remarkable civil servant and an internationally respected figure in the scientific community. His death today is a sad occasion for everyone who has had the pleasure of working with him and benefiting from his enormous contributions to our Government.
Dr. Pecora's expertise as a leading authority in the field of geology proved invaluable to our country from the day he joined the Interior Department in 1939. He built a shining record for 6 years as Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, and then for 2 years as Under Secretary of the Department of the Interior.
Mrs. Nixon and I extend our heartfelt condolences to his family in their bereavement for this fine American.
Note: Dr. Pecora, 59, died at George Washington University Hospital following surgery for diverticulitis. He was Director, Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, from 1965 to 1971 and Under Secretary of the Interior from 1971.
Richard Nixon, Statement on the Death of Under Secretary of the Interior William T. Pecora. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/254654