Anne Irene McGill Gorsuch Burford, commonly known as Anne Gorsuch Burford or Anne M. Gorsuch, was an American attorney and politician who made history as the first woman to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 1981 to 1983 under President Ronald Reagan. Born on April 21, 1942, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she grew up in a politically active family and developed an interest in law and public service. After briefly attending Mount Holyoke College, she transferred to the University of Colorado, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965. She then obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Denver College of Law in 1968. Burford entered politics in Colorado, serving as a Republican member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 1975 to 1981, where she chaired the Education Committee and advocated for conservative policies on education reform and criminal justice.

Her tenure at the EPA was highly controversial, characterized by aggressive deregulation efforts aligned with Reagan's agenda to reduce federal bureaucracy. Burford oversaw significant budget cuts—reducing the agency's funding by about 22%—and staff reductions of nearly 25%, while relaxing enforcement of key environmental laws like the Clean Air Act and Superfund regulations. These moves drew sharp criticism from environmental groups, scientists, and congressional Democrats, who accused her of prioritizing industry interests over public health and environmental protection. The controversy peaked in 1982 when she refused to turn over documents related to the Superfund program's handling of hazardous waste sites, leading to a citation for contempt of Congress—the first against a Cabinet-level official. Facing intense scrutiny and impeachment threats, Burford resigned in March 1983. She later reflected on her experiences in her 1986 memoir, 'Are You Tough Enough?', defending her actions as necessary to streamline government operations.

After her resignation, Burford taught at the University of Denver and largely withdrew from public life, though she remained a vocal conservative. She was married twice: first to David Gorsuch, with whom she had three children, including Neil Gorsuch, who became a U.S. Supreme Court Justice in 2017; and later to Norman Burford, a meatpacking plant owner, until his death in 1995. Burford battled health issues in her later years and died of cancer on July 18, 2004, in Aurora, Colorado, at age 62. Her legacy remains polarizing, praised by conservatives for challenging regulatory overreach and criticized by environmentalists for weakening protections during a critical period.