Linda Eade Receives Prestigious Award at Yosemite National Park

Date: June 13, 2013

Annual Barry Hance Award is Park's Highest Honor

Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher announced today that Linda Eade, Yosemite Research Librarian, is the recipient of the 2012 Barry Hance Memorial Award. The award was presented during an all-employee meeting this morning in Yosemite Valley. The ceremony was attended by approximately 300 people, including several past Barry Hance Award recipients.

"It is my honor to present the Barry Hance Memorial Award to such an exceptional employee. Linda Eade has touched the lives of thousands of employees and visitors over the 42 years that she has been in Yosemite. She always has a smile on her face, is always willing to provide a helping hand, and is a pleasure to be around," said Neubacher.

Eade has worked for Yosemite National Park since 1971. She started her career in Yosemite working for the park's concessioner at the time, Yosemite Park & Curry Company, from 1971 - 1980. In 1980, she began working for the National Park Service (NPS) at the Yosemite Research Library. Eade is the Research Librarian and works under the Division of Interpretation and Education. She is responsible for visitor and staff access to materials on park history, biology, botany, geology, amongst other topics. The Yosemite Research Library contains approximately 10,000 books relevant to natural and human history, including many unique published personal accounts of trips to Yosemite from visitors from around the world.

"It touches my heart to have been selected to receive the Barry Hance Award and to be honored by all of my coworkers and friends. I was a personal friend of Barry's and I know how great of a person he was," said Eade after receiving her award.

The award is named in honor of Barry Hance, a long-term Facilities Management employee who died in an avalanche while plowing the Tioga Road in 1995. This award is given annually to employees who exemplify the qualities and attributes of Barry Hance. These include a positive attitude, a concern for fellow employees, a willingness to work with other divisions in the park, getting the job done, and a love for Yosemite National Park.