Brian O'Neill (superintendent)
| Brian O'Neill | |
|---|---|
Brian O'Neill
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| Born |
September 17, 1941 Washington D.C., United States |
| Died | May 13, 2009 (aged 67) San Francisco, California, United States |
| Known for | Superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area for twenty-three years |
Brian O'Neill (September 17, 1941 – May 13, 2009) was the superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area from 1986 until his death in 2009. He has been described as the most important of the superintendents of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
O'Neill was born in Washington D.C. on September 17, 1941. He gained an appreciation for the wilderness from his family who would often take him camping when he was young. While in high school O'Neill and his twin brother Alan, along with their mother, founded a nonprofit organization to take urban children on trips to national parks. O'Neill attended and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in geography.
O'Neill joined the U.S. Geological Survey in 1964. He later joined the Urban Studies Branch of the U.S. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation where he helped plan various parks. In 1973 he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico after taking a job with the U.S. Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service (HCRS). O'Neill moved to San Francisco in 1979 as part of his job as the assistant regional director with HCRS.
O'Neill was instrumental in making the Phleger Estate and open to the public by insuring federal funding for the purchase of the land.
O'Neill served on the planning commission for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), and it was his presentation at the White House to President Nixon that convinced the President to endorse the concept of a park in San Francisco. In 1981 O'Neill was named assistant superintendent with the GGNRA, and was promoted to superintendent in 1986.
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