North America’s highest mountain will again bear the name of one of the City of Nile's favorite sons, under an order issued by President Donald Trump on his first day in office.

In addition to renaming Alaska’s “Mount Denali” to “Mount McKinley”, the president also seeks to change the name of the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America”.

President Trump’s order says it is in the national interest to promote the “extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes.”

Under the order, within 30 days, the Secretary of the Interior will reinstate the name "Mount McKinley" on federal maps and records.  The name "Denali National Park and Preserve" will remain unchanged.

Mount McKinley National Park came to be on February 26, 1917, when legislation naming it was signed into law.

Despite the decision to use “Mount McKinley” as the name of the peak and the national park, the debate over the name continued as words and meanings among Native Americans living nearby endured.

In the Athabascan language, words for the mountain translate to “the tall one” or “mountain big.”

In 1975, the name controversy reemerged when the State of Alaska petitioned the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to change the name of the mountain to Denali officially. However, the Ohio congressional delegation blocked their efforts for four decades.

In 1980, momentum continued to favor the name Denali after the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act changed the park’s name to Denali National Park and Preserve. But the official name of the mountain remained Mount McKinley.

President Barack Obama and Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell acted in 2015 to restore the name Denali to the mountain. Secretary Jewell cited a law that empowers the Secretary of Interior to use authority when the USBGN “does not act within a reasonable time” as a justification to make the change.

In 2016 “Mount McKinley” was renamed “Denali”.

To accomplish the changes, the president’s executive order calls for reviewing and replacing members of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. Agency heads are responsible for appointing members to the Board and are directed to review their appointees and consider replacements.

The Secretary of the Interior will also appoint additional members to the Board, which will revise its principles, policies, and procedures to prioritize honoring American heroes in the naming and renaming of geographic features. Applications for renaming will be reviewed by the newly constituted Board.

If Congressional action is required, the Board will guide federal agencies to use the Board-approved name in official documents until the renaming is officially enacted.

Within 30 days, the Secretary of the Interior will reinstate the name "Mount McKinley" on federal maps and records.  Denali National Park: The name "Denali National Park and Preserve" will remain unchanged.

The president has directed the Secretary of the Interior to work with Alaskan Native entities and local organizations to name landmarks that honor Alaskan history and culture.

 

  National Park Service

William McKinley’s legacy is memorialized in his place of birth.  In addition to being the home of Niles McKinley High School, a centerpiece of the community is the National McKinley Birthplace Memorial.

Operated and maintained by the National McKinley Birthplace Memorial Association, the example of Greek Classic architecture was dedicated in 1917 on the site of a one-room schoolhouse where McKinley attended.

One wing of the building houses the McKinley Memorial Library and the other contains the McKinley Museum and an auditorium.

The center Court of Honor is supported by 28 columns and features a statue of McKinley, surrounded by bronze busts of men instrumental in the development of the Mahoning Valley.