Home to Wyoming
Back in Wyoming since 1992, Stroock has been back in the state’s public life. Besides heading the state’s health reform commission in its first years, he devoted energy to UW, serving as a distinguished professor there, providing scholarships for UW students to study abroad, serving as an advisor to the School of Energy Resources, and funding the annual Stroock Forum on Wyoming Lands and People, which sicne1997 has brought to Wyoming distinguished speakers on a broad range of topics.
UW economics professor Jason Shogren, who has served since 1995 as the first and only Stroock Professor of Natural Resource Conservation and Management, said the Stroock family’s endowment has not only benefited the people of the state, but has also increased his own understanding of the importance of public service.
“My role as established by Tom Stroock has been to help the various groups find a balance between how we use and develop our natural resources, and how we preserve them,” Shogren said. “That’s the legacy he has left at UW, placing a person in the middle to help find common ground and new ways to address old challenges.”
Stroock described the challenge for Wyoming, and his own hopes for the state, in 2006 at the close of a Stroock Forum on “Energy Futures: Global Changes that Challenge Wyoming.” The day-long discussion had focused on production of old and new forms of energy, and how to reach the markets with power lines and pipelines – the issues making headlines today. Stroock brought the day to a close by saying:
“It occurs to me that missing from what’s been discussed today — and I hope it will be injected in the future — is that there are some spots where we just shouldn’t allow things to happen at all.
“We shouldn’t allow some land to be developed by developers. We shouldn’t allow towns to grow out into the outskirts, so they crowd the mountain fronts. We shouldn’t allow traffic zones in the middle of passes that are now pristine. We shouldn’t allow oil and gas drilling in the middle of national resource areas that are so beautiful –and so valuable for the game herds– that we destroy their migratory patterns and ruin their bed grounds and their breeding grounds.
“There are some places we shouldn’t do that and it depends, I think, on the state government to speak up for Wyoming. And the place to do that is when we are discussing infrastructure, when we’re talking about the density of wells in the oil and gas commission, when we’re talking about the location of power lines…
“We need to keep that in mind constantly, because, as Mike Leon of Sheridan used to say in the legislature, ‘We don’t want to make Wyoming like every place else, when every place else wants to be just like Wyoming.’
“Thank you.”
{ 11 comments }
As a child I played with Margie in the Stroock home. My life long strong connection with the Latin American culture was born there. I remember working on an arts festival with Guatemalan artists in Canada and corresponding with them while they served in Guatemala. I was so proud to know them. The integrity and truthful expression in Tom has put a compassionate and noble American face in troubled places and issues.
Tom Stroock was a gentleman full of honesty, happiness, pure love, conviction and integrated action towards the good in life. As a young landman in the oil business his encouraging words made me feel equal to all of the men in the industry. I ran for, President of the Wyoming Association of Professional Landmen, in-part, due to encouragement from Tom. I enjoyed that year in office, and a highlight included sitting with Tom, and others, at the old Derrick near the Platte River during its dedication. Tom’s dedication to the good in life will never be forgotten. His children also reflect the good in life. Sincerely, Jill Reed
A wonderful article about a wonderful and unique man. But in all the tributes to Tom, little has been said about his support for art in Wyoming. Tom was a great patron of my father, the sculptor Robert Russin. He was one the men responsible for the fountain at City Hall and the Prometheus in front of the Library, and he helped create a sculpture fellowship at UW that gave many artists their start. And Tom would certainly want to be remembered, among all his many other achievements, as a great fisherman. He could fish, and tell fish stories, with the best of them. I will miss him greatly.
A historic figure in our state, he took time to drive down to Laramie regularly to lend his unique perspective on Wyoming to students in my history classes as well as to me. Like many others, I will miss his wise counsel.
As a young person and close friend to Tom and Marta’s oldest daughter, Margie, Tom’s passion and firey temper was daunting. The man had convictions and deeply cared about issues and people. As he aged, he was all heart. I adored him!
I enjoyed the read and comments from good friends! A well written piece on one of the public servants who set the bar so high for those of us who have followed him into public service. We have much to live up to because of visionaries like Tom.
I was fortunate to get to know Tom when I was the environmental writer for the Star-Tribune and later covered his ambassadorial appointment when based in D.C. He was both a gracious and blunt man – often at the same time. One of the last of the Teddy Roosevelt Republicans, and a man who left Wyoming much the better for his having adopted it as his home.
I’ll miss Tom. He was a generous man and his political life overshadowed other things he did in the community, including supporting the arts. He shared some great advice with me over the years and remained interested and engaged right up to the end.
A true gentleman and a scholar who will be sorely missed. Wyoming has lost a friend.
Well done. A worthy tribute to a one-of-a-kind Wyomingite.
An excellent tribute to and overview of a remarkable man,