New York street tough. Pacific theater Marine. Yale scholar. Oil rig roughneck. Oil industry leader. Wyoming state senator. U.S. Ambassador. Conservationist.

Plenty of labels and job descriptors apply to Tom Stroock, Wyoming trustee emeritus for the Wyoming Nature Conservancy. But as Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal said at a honorary reception for Stroock, "That's an impressive resume, but it really doesn't capture the real you."

Green ink and finger paint

The governor and Stroock go back a ways n back to when Freudenthal was chief of staff to then-Governor Ed Herschler and state Sen. Stroock was chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Freudenthal said the two ex-Marines respected each other, but that Herschler wasn't always happy about how state budgets were handled by Stroock's committee.

On one memorable occasion, said Freudenthal, Gov. Herschler compared Stroock's handling of the budget to finger-painting by Herschler's grandkids, whereupon Stroock found the largest Mattel finger-painting set he could find, and formally presented it to Herschler as a gift.

The finger-painting set held a prominent display on the governor's credenza for the rest of his term, said Freudenthal.

Stroock's trademark is sending hand-written notes in green ink n something Freudenthal remembers vividly from Herschler's administration. "They were forceful, precise and usually angry about something," he mused. Today, he gets regular e-mails from Tom Stroock, nuanced, respectful and of strong opinions.

"What de Tocqueville said about the 'enlightened self-interest' of early Americans can be said of Tom Stroock," said Gov. Freudenthal. De Tocqueville said, "…an enlightened regard for themselves constantly prompts them to assist one another and inclines them willingly to sacrifice a portion of their time and property to the welfare of the state.'"

"That's Tom Stroock," said the governor. Several decades ago, when the energy industry strongly felt that environmental regulations were not needed in Wyoming, said Freudenthal, Stroock acted in enlightened self interest and the best interest of the state, leading the fight for clean air and water acts and the Environmental Quality Act in 1973.

Stroock got the Senate to pass what turned out to be the earliest version of what's now the Wildlife Trust idea, which was defeated in the House by one vote. "That's when Nancy (Freudenthal) became a Democrat," said the governor.

Wyoming newcomer

Tom Stroock first saw Wyoming on December 1, 1948 n in the middle of a blizzard.

"I couldn't believe the wildness of Wyoming," said Stroock n still enthralled with mountains, wildlife and the open space of the Cowboy State, more than half a century later.

It had to be something of an eye-opener for a kid from New York City, a Marine veteran and a Yale graduate, coming just three years after World War II. "We have to keep (Wyoming's way of life) intact," said Stroock, "not make Wyoming like other states, (at a time) when other states want to be like Wyoming."

Initially a roughneck on an oil rig and later a landman for the oil and gas industry, Stroock saw the importance of the industry operating intelligently. "We could do both," he said, referring to developing energy resources and protecting the environment at the same time.

Of the 40-some companies operating in Casper at the time, said Stroock, about half understood that point and worked accordingly. In the Wyoming Legislature, he witnessed many fellow legislators having epiphanies about the state's future during hearings and floor debates. "They understood we can't tear up Wyoming," he said.

Asked what accomplishment he was proudest of, Stroock quickly answered, "My family," which includes his wife Marta and four daughters. He said his interest in conservation issues was for their benefit and his own.

"I like to hunt, fish, ski and backpack," he said.

A five-term senator, Stroock counted Sen. John Ostlund of Gillette and Sen. John Patton of Sheridan as his allies.

Of governor Mike Sullivan, Stroock said he always got along with him, "because we didn't have any money" to fight over.

"Tom is really a man for all seasons," said Sullivan, who like Stroock, has been a U.S. Ambassador (Sullivan to Ireland and Stroock to Guatemala). "He's been a leader in the oil and gas industry and has served conservation well." A strong advocate for the mineral industry, Sullivan said, Stroock doesn't hesitate to criticize the industry when it is wrong.

Going forward

Stroock said Wyoming's big challenge is to develop coal-bed methane and natural gas resources "without ruining the state. Like Ed Herschler, we need development on our terms."

Despite all the furor over development today, Stroock takes the long view. "We're way ahead of where we were," he said. He'd like to see more public support for the Environmental Quality Council and continued enforcement of the state's laws and regulations.

He'd also like to see further progress on an instream flow bill in the Legislature n an issue he's handed off to Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, to champion.

Stroock said he's enjoyed working with The Nature Conservancy, because "they put their money where their mouth is," buying and selling land and easements to benefit wildlife and people alike.

The same might be said about Tom Stroock, said publisher and Wyoming Conservancy Board member Dennis Sun. "Tom is really someone who walks the walk and talks the talk," said Sun, publisher of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and Wyoming Conservancy board member.