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John S. Apperson Jr. (front)

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John S. Apperson Jr.
(1878-1963)

A Virginia native and college dropout, John “Appy” Apperson relocated to Schenectady in 1899, eventually landing a job as an electrical engineer at General Electric, where he worked for 47 years.

In 1900, he saw Lake George in the Adirondacks for the first time. Enthralled by its pristine beauty, Apperson dedicated his life to protecting the region, famously noting, “Lake George is my wife, and her islands our children.”

Adopting conservation as his “religion,” Apperson rose to become the “dean of the implacable conservationist,” leading the wilderness preservation movement in New York, educating the politicians of his day, and inspiring future generations of environmentalists.