Manuel Lujan Jr.

Manuel Lujan Jr. (1928-2019) was a pioneering leader in the modern battlefield preservation movement whose efforts helped establish the federal programs and organizations that continue to protect America's historic battlefields. As U.S. Secretary of the Interior, he played a central role in the creation of the original Civil War Trust and the American Battlefield Protection Program.

After representing New Mexico for 20 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Lujan was appointed secretary of the interior by President George H.W. Bush in 1989. Seeking to learn more about Manassas amid the controversy surrounding a proposed shopping mall near the battlefield, Lujan was captivated by Civil War stories told by National Park Service chief historian Ed Bearss. He subsequently became one of the most effective leaders in the preservation movement's early years.

Lujan was the driving force behind the creation of the original Civil War Trust in 1991. That same year, he also helped establish the congressional Civil War Sites Advisory Commission and the federal American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP).

The ABPP continues to administer grants supporting battlefield preservation, while the commission's landmark 1993 report remains an important resource for evaluating the nation's historic battlefields and guiding preservation priorities.

Lujan died of heart failure in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on April 25, 2019, at age 90. His leadership helped lay the groundwork for the modern battlefield preservation movement and established a lasting federal commitment to protecting America's hallowed ground.