WASHINGTON, DC - - Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton today issued the following statement in recognition of former Secretary of the Interior Stanley Hathaway, who passed away at his Wyoming home last evening at the age of 81:

"Stan Hathaway's commitment to the West he so dearly loved will be his enduring legacy," Secretary Norton said today. "He was devoted to the people of Wyoming and of this nation. He served as Secretary of the Interior only for a brief time - three months and 26 days to be exact - until illness prompted his early departure."

"Stan is credited with being among the first of the nation's governors to secure a smoother path over the once-all-too-common and rocky 'boom and bust' cycles of natural resource economies. His effort to create Wyoming's Permanent Mineral Trust Fund - a fund that now totals $2 billion - is now viewed with admiration."

"Stan Hathaway was a statesman, a respected two-term governor and strong leader for the people of Wyoming. I admire his dedicated career of public service."