Glenn Leonidas Emmons (1895-1980) was an American banker and politician who served as the Commissioner of the Bureau of Indian Affairs from 1953 to 1961 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, succeeding Dillon S. Myer.
[4] In 1953, he was nominated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to serve as the Commissioner of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, after being unanimously endorsed by the 74 member Navajo Tribal Council.
[4] In addition, Emmons wrote the first Tribal Termination plans, which would end the Federal Relationship with Indian tribes, stripping them of their Treaty protections, lands, and sovereignty.
[citation needed] Emmons did not support forced relocation; he advocated reclamation of Indian lands, encouraging development of industry, including oil, uranium, and coal leasing.
In 1957, Emmons received the Distinguished Service Award from the Department of Interior for "outstanding achievement in materially improving the health protection, the educational facilities, and the economic prospects for Indian people."