National Park Service History Collection RG 21
Preliminary inventory
Provenance
Many materials were donated as Accession HFCA-00773 by Mary Elms, National Chairperson, National Park Women in February 1983. The officers throughout the history of the organization had accumulated them. The scrapbook was kept as a history. The reports and booklets were compiled by the members, as was the information on the Employee and Alumni Association, scholarships, etc. The files pertain to the operation of the organization. Other materials including the newsletters have been donated over the years by past officers.
History
The NPS Women’s Organization came into existence on September 9, 1952 at the 21st NPS Superintendents' Conference "Area Operations," Glacier National Park. Part of the impetus was the initial project - a housing survey of NPS areas. The findings of the housing survey were instrumental in helping Director Wirth sell the concept of Mission 66. During the 50's the organization has helped to develop area handbooks and orientation booklets. It has also worked with E&AA since the beginning especially on the scholarship fund. Regional newsletters began in 1967 with Southwest Region Smoke Signals, and came out regularly until 1981 when they were combined into one national edition, the Breeze-Northwinds. In the 70's, the general chairperson position was rotated throughout the regions. From the beginning, the NPS Women’s Organization has represented wives, employees, alumni wives, and alumni. However, by the 70's the number of wives was proportionally less. In 1977, the by-laws were revised and the name changed to National Park Women.
Herma Baggley called the 1952 organizational meeting and went on to chair the housing survey while Bea Freeland headed the organization. The organization mirrored the three-part structure of the National Park Service - area, region, and national. In 1969, a national position of historian was created which was filled by in 1983 by Amy Binnewies. Each region, and the national organization, is governed by a chairperson and a Board of Directors.
The National Park Women are an active group on all three levels. A column produced by the National Park Women appeared regularly in the NPS Newsletter and occasionally in the Courier. The National Park Women continue (1986) to be involved with housing issues, E&AA scholarships, welcome and orientation, information sharing, scientific concerns, communication, and hospitality.
Summary
Accession HFCA-00773 consists of a scrapbook and a record box along with an expanding folder of organizational files. This adds to the History Collection's accumulation of a partial archive box of National Park Women (NPW) material. NPSHC also has three half archive boxes of NPW newsletters gathered over the years.
The material from HFCA-00773 has been added to the existing NPW material, and takes up a record box and an archive box in addition to the Periodical boxes and the scrapbook. The material has been divided into twelve series as follows: I - Housing; II - Reports and Minutes; III - Correspondence; IV - By Laws; V - Board Meetings; VI - E&AA; VII - Orientation; VIII A-V; IX - Special Conferences; X - HFC; XI - Miscellaneous; and XII - NPW Periodicals. Care has been taken to separately identify the HFCA-00773 material within the larger series.
Dispersal
A complete listing of Accession HFCA-00773 can be found in the accession folder. It has all been kept under this classification. The existing newsletter collection is kept with other periodicals in the repository. Other files of interest would include Mission 66, E&AA, and Conferences.
Folders
Scrapbook
Series I - Housing
A. HFCA-00773
Housing Report - 3 folders
Report of NPS Housing Survey, 1953 By-laws - 4 folders
Letters, Report Folders 1953, 1955, Housing 1956, 1961, 1971, 1968, 1973-77-75-76-77
Expanding Envelope - Mission 66 Report, Booklets, Housing Memos, Etc.
B. Other materials
Housing Survey, 1953, 1959
Series II - Reports and Minutes
A. HFCA-00773
Reports, Minutes - 1971-72, 1950-70, 1969-70 Monthly
National Chairwoman's Report
Reports - 1965-70
B. Other materials
Reports, Etc. - NPW, 1965-81
National Chairman Women's Organization, 1973-4 (Reports)
Women's Organization, 1969-70 (Reports)
Women Organization - NPS, 1965-77 (Reports, etc.)
Series III - Correspondence
Expanding Folder - Correspondence
Expanding Folder - HFCA-00773
Director
Assistant Director - Park Management
Howard Baker
Historian
Southwest Region
Midwest Region
Northeast Region
Scholarships
Public Relations
Series IV - By-Laws
By-Laws
By-Laws, 1977 revisions
Series V - Board Meetings
Agenda Items - National Board Meetings
Minutes, June 1969-January 1971
Series VI – Employees & Alumni Association (EAA)
A. HFCA-00773
EAA, 69-71 - Information
EAA Information
B. Other materials
Park Women and Trust Fund
National Chairman Women's Organization Reports, EAA, 1973-4 (HFCA-00600)
Series VII - Orientation
A. HFCA-00773
Welcome Booklet
B. Other materials
Booklet - Live with Beauty NPS Wives
Booklet - To NPS Wives and Women Employees (1970 information re NPS living)
Information Booklet Outline
Series VIII - AV
A-V Loan Material
Booklet - AV Loan Material Available for Use NPS Women's Organization, 9/63
Series IX - Special Conferences and Programs
NPS Women's Conference Recommendations and Regional Director's Subcommittee Report, 1979
Centennial Program for NPS Women
Program - Southwest Regional Superintendents' Conference, March 12-17, 1967
Series X - Harpers Ferry Center
Harpers Ferry Chapter NPS Women's Organization
Series XI - Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous - Play, History, Items Donated
Special Features, Recipes
Series XII - Periodicals
A. National
1. Breeze-Northwinds
November 1981
February 1982
May 1982
October 1982
February 1983
May 1983
October 1983
February 1984
May 1984
October 1984
February 1985
2. The NPW Breeze
May 1985
October 1985
February 1986
May 1986
B. Regional newsletters
1. Pacific Northwest Breeze
Fall 1971
Winter 1972
Spring 1973?
Fall 1972
Spring 1972
Winter 1972-73
Summer issue, 7/75
Summer 1974
March 1976
May 1976
Fall 1976
*Note: According to February 1984 issue Thelma Warnock has complete file from 1972 to present (1986).
2. Roundup(NW - MWR)
First Edition
2/1/70
5/1/70
08/01/70
January 1971
August 1972
January 1973
November 1973
March 1974
July 1974
Fall 74
1975 (Summer)
Winter 1975
Spring 1976
Summer 1976
Winter 1976
Winter 1978
Spring 1979
3. New Voice (NERO)
Vol. I, No. I, February-March (1973)
Vol. I, No. 2, June 1973
Vol. II, No. I February 1974
Vol. 2, Edition 3, September 1974
Vol. 2, Edition 3, September 1974
Vol. 3, Edition 1, February 1975
Vol. III, Edition II, June 1975
Vol. III, Edition III, November 1975
Vol. 4, No. 1, February 1976
Vol. 4, No. 2, May 1976
Vol. 5, No. 1, February 1977
Vol. 5, No. 2, June 1977
Vol. 5, No. 3, October 1977
January 1978
May 1978
November 1978
4. Smoke Signal (SWR)
November 1967
February 1968
May 1968
August 1968
November 1968
February 1969
May 1969
August 1969
October 1969 January 1970 April 1970
July 1970
January 1971
April 1971
July 1971
January 1972?
March? 1972
July? 1972
Fall 1972
Spring 1973
Summer 1973
Fall 1973
January 1974
April 1974
July 1974
Spring? 1975
Summer? 1975
5. TrailblazerMR)
November 1974
March 1975
July 1975
November 1975
March 1976
July 1976
November 1976
March 1977
November 1977
November 1978
November 1979
February 1981
November 1981
6. Trade Winds (SER)
Vol. I, No. II, May 1974
May 1975, Vol. I, No. II
May 1976, Vol. III, No. II
October 1976, Vol. III, No. III
February 1977, Vol. IV, No. I
7. Yankee Doodles (NAR)
April 1975
Fall 1976
1977
1978
8. Lava Flow (WR)
April 1973
July 1973
October 1973
April 1974
February 1975