Patrick Noonan

{{Short description|American conservationist}}

{{for|the American soccer coach|Pat Noonan}}

Patrick F. Noonan (born 1943) is an American conservationist and was president of The Nature Conservancy from 1973 to 1980,{{cite web |url=http://www.nature.org/aboutus/leadership/art18758.html |title=About the Nature Conservancy - Former Presidents |accessdate=2010-04-01 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705230159/http://www.nature.org/aboutus/leadership/art18758.html |archivedate=2010-07-05 }} and the Conservation Fund.{{Cite web |url=http://www.conservationfund.org/who_we_are |title=We Are America's Partner in Conservation | the Conservation Fund |access-date=2010-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920033229/http://conservationfund.org/who_we_are |archive-date=2010-09-20 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|title=Patrick Noonan|website=nndb.com|accessdate=30 April 2018|url=http://www.nndb.com/people/586/000053427/}} He was a recipient of the Lady Bird Johnson Environmental Award.

He graduated from Gettysburg College with BS Business Administration, (1965), from American University with an MBA, and from Catholic University of America, with a MS in City and Regional Planning.

He has served on three Presidential Commissions: the Commission on Americans Outdoors; Commission on Environmental Quality; and the Commission on White House Fellows.{{cite news|publisher=Texas State University|website=Office of Media Relations|title=Conservationist Patrick Noonan to deliver Grosvenor Lecture|first=Jayme|last=Blaschke|date=13 March 2009|accessdate=30 April 2018|url=http://www.txstate.edu/news/news_releases/news_archive/2009/03/Grosvenor031209.html}} He currently serves on the board of trustees of the National Geographic Society and is Vice Chairman of the Society's Education Foundation.{{cite web|website=National Geographic Society|url=http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/program/education-foundation-board/?ar_a=1|accessdate=30 April 2018|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024002851/http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/program/education-foundation-board/?ar_a=1|archivedate=24 October 2013|title=National Geographic Education Foundation Board}} He is also on the board of advisors of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and was previously a board member of the Chesapeake Conservancy.{{cite news|last1=Brockett|first1=Megan|title=Chesapeake Conservancy announces new board members|url=http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/environment/ph-ac-cn-chesapeake-conservancy-1220-20161219-story.html|accessdate=26 April 2018|work=Capital Gazette|date=19 December 2016}}

His daughter, Karen Elizabeth Noonan (1967–1988) was one of the victims of the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.{{cite news|date=23 December 1988|title=8 Marylanders died on Pan Am Flight 103|work=The Baltimore Sun|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/anne-arundel/bal-lockerbie-maryland-victims-pg,0,3305954.photogallery|accessdate=30 April 2018}}

Noonan is quoted in the profile prepared by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration when he received its Pugsley Medal in 2005: "Noonan's early childhood was spent with weekends in the great outdoors on rural lands owned by his family in Maryland. He developed there a deep and abiding love for nature and respect for its beauty. Later he noted, 'I had the privilege of transferring the land to the Maryland Parks and Planning Commission to create Little Bennett Regional Park. It was the most satisfying moment of my life, realizing that for all time generations would come to walk the land and experience firsthand the daily miracles of nature.'"