William E. Warne, state, federal, and international government official for a quarter-century, is the Administrator of the Resources Agency of California and Director of the California State Department of Water Resources.

His professional career has been devoted to the conservation and development of water and other natural resources in California and throughout the nation, and to resources and economic development in foreign countries on behalf of the United Nations and the United States.

The civil service and appointive posts in which he has served since 1935 include the following:

State of California -Administrator, Resources Agency of California (since October 1, 1961); Director, Department of Water Resources (since January 3, 1961); Director, Department of Agriculture (1960); Director, Department of Fish and Game (1959).

International -Economic Coordinator, United Nations Command, Korea (1957-59); Mission Director, U. S. International Cooperation Administration, Brazil (1955-56), and Iran (1951-55).

Federal -Assistant Secretary of the Interior (1947-51); Assistant Commissioner, U. S. Bureau of Reclamation (1943-47); Chief of Staff, War Production Board (early World War II); special assignments to national resources, power, and river basin work and information and editorial positions in the Bureau of Reclamation (1935-42).

Warne was raised on a farm in California's Imperial Valley. He was a newspaper and press service reporter and editor in California and Washington, D. C. for eight years after he graduated from the University of California in 1927.

The United Nations, the United States, and foreign countries have honored Warne for his work. Special awards to him included: United Nations Command's Citation for Outstanding Service (1959), honorary degrees, Seoul National University and Yonsei University, Korea (1959); U. S. Foreign Operation Administration's Honor Award for Distinguished Public Service (1955); Shah of Iran's Order of the Crown (1955); U. S. Department of the Interior's Distinguished Service Honor Award (1951).

Warne is the author of Mission for Peace, a book in which he relates his experiences in Iran as the administrator of the United States' first point 4 Program.

Warne was born September 2, 1905, near Seafield, Indiana, and moved to Imperial Valley with his family in 1914. He graduated from the Holtville Union High School.

He and his wife, the former Edith Peterson, have three children: Jane Warne (Mrs. David C. Beeder), Lieutenant William Robert Warne, U. S. Army, and Margaret Warne. He lives in Sacramento and maintains his official residence in Altadena.

He is a member of Sigma Delta Chi, Lambda Chi Alpha, the National Press Club, and the Commonwealth Club of California.

From: State of California, The Resources Agency of California, Department of Water Resources, May 1, 1962

Who's Who in the West. WARNE, William Elme,Irrigationist; b. nr. Seafield, Ind., September 2, 1905; s. William Rufus and Nettle Jane (Williams) W.; A.B., U. Cal. 1927; Doctor of Economics, Yonsei U., Seoul, 1959; LL.D., Seoul Nat. U., 1959; m. Edith Margaret Peterson, July 9, 1929; children-Jane Ingrid (Mrs. David C. Beeder), William Robert, Margaret Edith. Reporter, San Francisco (Cal.) Bulletin and Oakland (Cal.) Post-Enquirer, 1925-27; news editor, Brawley (Cal.) News, 1927, Calexico (Cal.) Chronicle, 1927-28; editor and night mgr. Los Angeles bur. A.P., 1928-31, corr. San Diego bur., 1931-33, Washington (D.C.) corr., 1933-35; editor, bur. of reclamation, Dept. of Interior, 1935-37; on staff Third World Power Conf., 1936; asso. to reviewing com. Nat. Resources Com. on preparation of Drainage Basin Problems and Programs, 1936, mem. editorial com. for revision, 1937; chief of information, bur. of reclamation, 1937-42; co-dir. (with the late Harlan II. Barrows) Columbia Basin Joint Investigations, 1939-42; chief of staff, war production drive, W.P.B., 1942; asst. dir. div. of power, Dept. of Interior, 1942-43; dir. of Information, Dept. of Interior, 1943; asst. commr., bur. of reclamation, 1943-47; apptd. asst. sec., Dept. Interior, 1947, asst. see. Water and Power Devel., 1950-51; U.S. minister charge Tech. Cooperation for Iran, 1951-55, Brazil, 1955-56; U.S. minister and economic coordinator for Korea, 1956-59; dir. Cal. Dept. Fish and Game, 1959-60 Agriculture, 1960-61, Water Resources, 1961-66 administrator Resources Agency California, 1961-62. Chairman President's Committee on San Diego Water Supply, 1944-46, chairman Fed. Inter-Agency River Basin Com., 1948, Fed. Com. on Alaskan Devel., 1948; pres. Group Health Assn., Inc., 1947-51; chmn. U.S. Del. 2d InterAm. Conf. Indian Life, Cuzco, Peru, 1949; U.S. Del. 4th World Power Conference London, England, 1950; mem. bd. Near East Found., 1956-58, 59; Cal. Water Pollution Control bd., 1959, Commn. Interstate Co-operation, 1960; mem. adv. bd. Fed. Water Pollution Control, 1962--; member Governor's cabinet, 1961; U.S. committee International Commission Large Dams. Served as second It., O.R.C., 1927-37. Recipient Distinguished Service award, Dept. of Interior, 1951; Distinguished Pub. Service Honor award, FOA. 1955; Order of Crown, Shah of Iran, 1955; Outstanding Service citation UN Command, 1959. Mem. Sigma Delta Chi, Lambda Chi Alpha. Clubs: Nat. Press (Washington); University, Sutter (Sacramento). Author: Mission for Peace-Point 4 in Iran, 1956. Home: 2090 8th Av. Office: 1120 N St., Sacramento 14.

From: Who's Who in the West,9th edition, 1964 page 829.