Born into turn-of-the-century wealth, Pinchot was able to garner a forestry education in Europe, bring it back to North America and become it's first professional forester. He founded the United States Forest Service and organized the creation of the Society of American Foresters.
Place of Birth: At his family's summer home in Milford, Connecticut
Education: After graduating from Yale University in 1889, Gifford went abroad to study at L’Ecole Nationale Forestiere in Nancy, France. There were no forestry courses of study in the United States.
Career Outline: Pinchot served as Chief Forester for President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt's U.S. Forest Service, was a two-term governor of Pennsylvania in the 1920s and 30s and served as the president of the National Coast Anti Pollution League.

Greatest Achievements: Under Pinchot, representing the Forest Service and the Teddy Roosevelt administration, millions of acres were added to the national forests where the federal government controlled their use and regulated their harvest.
Political Prowess: Ever the politician, Pinchot was elected twice as Republican governor of Pennsylvania and ran for the Senate. He fought for wiser use of natural resources and for fuller justice for the average citizen. Because of his political beliefs, Pinchot was never far away from controversy.
Controversy: Pinchot’s conservation ethic had detractors. Preservationists on the left (including John Muir) opposed Pinchot’s commercialization of the land. On the right, Congress, responding to private pressures became increasingly hostile even to Pinchot's Wise Use causes.
In 1907, Congress forbade the President to purchase forest reserves in Western states. Finally, Pinchot’s authority was substantially undermined by the election of President Taft in 1908. Taft later fired Pinchot.

Praise From Theodore Roosevelt : "He has done more than any man in this country for the preservation of forests...His is gifted with the utmost energy and the zeal that only comes to one who is wrapped up in his work; and in addition to these qualities, he has...excellent judgement and sound common sense."