Robert Stanton

Who is Robert Stanton?

Robert G. Stanton is a career civil service administrator, who served for almost four decades in the United States National Park Service. He was the first African American to be appointed as the Director of the Park Service, serving 1997-2001.

Stanton had chiefly directed regional programs in the National Capital Region of the Washington, DC metropolitan area, which includes many significant historic and cultural monuments, buildings and parks in the area, as well as wide-ranging responsibilities for handling large groups of visitors, public events such as presidential inaugurations on the Mall, and demonstrations. Stanton began his career in 1962 as a seasonal ranger at Grand Teton National Park. Stanton advanced in the career service into management positions, serving as well in the Virgin Islands and the Southeast Region, based in Atlanta, Georgia. He became assistant director and regional director of the National Capital Region before his initial retirement in January 1997.

As Director, Stanton supported increasing staff diversity, as well as programs to ensure recognition of cultural and historic sites related to contributions of minority peoples in the United States.