Brian O'Neill (superintendent)
Encyclopedia
Brian O'Neill 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.
to take urban children on trips to national park
s. O'Neill attended and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park
with a degree in geography
.
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.
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.
As superintendent O'Neill oversaw the completion of the Cavallo Point conference center, as well as the renovation of The Marine Mammal Center
. He is credited with making Alcatraz a world-class tourist destination, as well as being the driving forced behind getting Crissy Field
incorporated into the GGNRA and its later renovation. Under his tenure as superintendent Mori Point
was incorporated into the GGNRA. O'Neill work with Tom Lantos
to purchase Rancho Corral de Tierra and incorporate it into the GGNRA.
surgery at the California Pacific Medical Center
. While recovering he developed an infection, and died after suffering a series of stroke
s. He is survived by his wife and two adult children.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States, with over 13 million visitors a year...
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.
Early life
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 organizationNonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
to take urban children on trips to national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s. O'Neill attended and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
with a degree in geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
.
Park related work
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 MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
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
Phleger Estate
The Phleger Estate is a park in San Mateo County, California. The park is located outside the town of Woodside and adjacent to Huddart County Park...
and open to the public by insuring federal funding for the purchase of the land.
Work with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
O'Neill served on the planning commission for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), and it was his presentation at the White HouseWhite House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
to President Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
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.
As superintendent O'Neill oversaw the completion of the Cavallo Point conference center, as well as the renovation of The Marine Mammal Center
The Marine Mammal Center
The Marine Mammal Center is a private non-profit U.S. organization centered established in 1975 on rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured marine mammals. It also serves as a center for environmental research and education regarding marine mammals, namely cetaceans and pinnipeds...
. He is credited with making Alcatraz a world-class tourist destination, as well as being the driving forced behind getting Crissy Field
Crissy Field
Crissy Field is a former airfield, now a part of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in San Francisco, California, United States. Historically a part of the Presidio of San Francisco, Crissy Field was closed as an airfield and eventually the National Park Service took control over it...
incorporated into the GGNRA and its later renovation. Under his tenure as superintendent Mori Point
Mori Point
Mori Point is a site located in Pacifica, California that is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In 2000, Mori Point was put up for sale at auction, and the Pacifica Land Trust, the California Coastal Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land launched a campaign to purchase the...
was incorporated into the GGNRA. O'Neill work with Tom Lantos
Tom Lantos
Thomas Peter "Tom" Lantos was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 until his death, representing the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and a portion of southwest San Francisco...
to purchase Rancho Corral de Tierra and incorporate it into the GGNRA.
Later life
O'Neill had heart valve replacementValve replacement
Valve replacement surgery is the replacement of one or more of the heart valves with either an artificial heart valve or a bioprosthesis . It is an alternative to valve repair.There are four procedures:...
surgery at the California Pacific Medical Center
California Pacific Medical Center
California Pacific Medical Center is one of the largest private, non-profit, academic medical centers in Northern California. The Medical Center is a combination of four of San Francisco's oldest medical institutions: Pacific Presbyterian Hospital, Children's Hospital of San Francisco, Davies...
. While recovering he developed an infection, and died after suffering a series of stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s. He is survived by his wife and two adult children.