J. Jackson Walter; Ethics Watchdog, Preservationist

Mr. Walter told the Los Angeles Times in 1991 that the trust had begun to head in a good direction, "away from the mansions and country houses of the famous."

Joseph Jackson Walter, known as Jack, was born Nov. 6, 1940, in Swarthmore, Pa. He was a 1962 graduate of Amherst College in Massachusetts and a 1966 graduate of Yale University's law school. He signaled an early interest in preservation by attending Yale architecture scholar Vincent Scully's lectures on urban planning.

Early in his career, Mr. Walter practiced law in Boston and became secretary of the Florida Department of Business Regulation.

From 1982 to 1984, he was president of the National Academy of Public Administration, a nonprofit group that advises federal, state and local officials on managing government.

After resigning abruptly from the Historic Trust, he made an unsuccessful bid for a seat on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors.

He was executive director of the Waterford Foundation, a preservation group, and former board chairman of the parent company of the Leesburg Today newspaper. He served on other community boards, including the Country Life Center, which works to establish rural conservation districts.

He lived near Waterford and owned and renovated a 13th-century farmhouse in Heux, a village in southwestern France. A lanky fitness enthusiast, Mr. Walter enjoyed playing tennis.

Survivors include his wife of 30 years, Susan Draude Walter of Waterford; a stepdaughter, Allison McBane of McLean; and three grandchildren.