As a member of Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson’s legislative staff in 1970, Dennis Brezina assisted in the establishment of Earth Day, an event designed to bring national attention to environmental problems. Much to the surprise of the senator and his staff, Earth Day was a great success. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Brezina pursued his interest in the history of science and received an M.A. from Harvard University in 1964. Prior to joining Senator Nelson’s staff, he worked in the Science Research Division of the Legislative Reference Service (the forerunner of the Congressional Research Service) and also the Senate Government Operations Committee’s Subcommittee on Government Research, chaired by Oklahoma senator Fred Harris.
Scholarly citation: "Dennis W. Brezina, Legislative Assistant to Senator Gaylord Nelson," Oral History Interviews, August 2, 2005, to August 17, 2005, Senate Historical Office, Washington, D.C.
Disclaimer: The Senate Historical Office has a strong commitment to oral history as an important part of its efforts to document institutional change over time. Oral histories are a natural component to historical research and enhance the archival holdings of the Senate and its members. Oral histories represent the personal recollections and opinions of the interviewees, however, and should not be considered as the official views or opinions of the U.S. Senate, of the Senate Historical Office, or of other senators and/or staff members. The transcripts of these oral histories are made available by the Senate Historical Office as a public service.
