Last updated: December 5, 2024
Article
Guide to the Dorothy Boyle Huyck Papers
This finding aid describes the Dorothy Boyle Huyck Papers, part of the NPS History Collection. To search this guide for names, places, key words, or phrases enter Ctrl F on your keyboard (command key + F key on a Mac). Request an in-person research appointment or get more information by contacting the archivist.
Collection Overview
Collection Number: HFCA 1916
Creator: Huyck, Dorothy Boyle (1924-1979)
Title: Dorothy Boyle Huyck Papers
Dates: ca. 1964-1978
Volume of Collection: 5.8 LF
Language of Materials: English
Digitized Copies: This collection has not been digitized.
Conditions Governing Access: This collection is open to research use. See the NPS general copyright & restrictions information.
Provenance: Donated to the National Park Service by Dorothy B. Huyck's family.
Processing Note: This collection was processed and described by Nancy Russell in 2017. The finding aid was updated in December 2024.
Rights Statement for Archival Description: This guide is in the public domain.
Preferred Citation: Dorothy Boyle Huyck Papers, NPS History Collection (HFCA 1916)
Location of Repository: NPS History Collection, Harpers Ferry Center, PO Box 50, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
Related Materials:
- NPS Oral History Collection (HFCA 1817), NPS History Collection
Biographical Note
Dorothy Boyle Huyck was born October 19, 1924, in Madison, WI. She graduated from Carleton College in Minnesota with a B.A. in International Relations and began working for the State Department in Washington, D.C. in 1946, serving for five years as a liaison officer to agricultural agencies. From 1962 to 1967, Huyck worked as a camping consultant for the National Park Service (NPS) and contributed to many campground directories. An active camper, she was also a camping consultant for the American Automobile Association (AAA) and wrote the annual introduction in the AAA Camping Guide.
Huyck worked as a freelance writer focusing on travel and conservation. Her articles were published in the New York Times, the Smithsonian Magazine, the Washington Post, and other prestigious publications. She often organized family vacations around conducting interviews with important employees at national parks all over the country, turning her experiences into articles for publication. Huyck’s work was supported by her husband of 32 years, Earl, who assisted by taking photographs, editing materials, and taking on additional family responsibilities while Huyck worked on her research.
In 1976, the National Park Service (NPS) approached Huyck regarding research into the experiences of female employees. Within a year, she began the proposed research at her own expense, with the goal of writing a book on the history of women in the NPS. Huyck sought further support for her project and developed a proposal. The NPS approved the proposal and awarded her a contract in 1978. The project proposed to address the history of women in the NPS, both as employees and as family members of employees, and to take a closer look at contemporary issues faced by NPS women while identifying potential solutions. These records are part of the NPS Oral History Collection (HFCA 1817).
Huyck was unable to complete the project as she died on August 24, 1979. Four days before her death, NPS Director Bill Whalen appointed her an Honorary Park Ranger, promising that her work would be continued. The first National Park Service Women’s Conference, held in 1979, was dedicated to Huyck’s memory.
Sources:
Hunt, Naomi L. (1979). Honorary Park Ranger Named by Director Whalen. "National Park Courier", September 1979.
Obituary. (1979). Dorothy Boyle Huyck, 54, Freelance Travel Writer. "The Washington Post", August 27, 1979.
Scope and Content Note
Records created by or assembled by Dorothy Boyle Huyck for freelance articles and other products related to the NPS, particularly camping, and conservation issues. Includes correspondence, research notebooks, brochures and pamphlets regarding NPS sites, NPS management plans, and news clippings.
Arrangement
Organized into four series, as follows:
Series I: Research Notebooks, ca. 1964-1978
Series II: Subject Files, ca. 1964-1978
Series III: Agency Files, ca. 1964-1978
Series IV: State Files, ca. 1964-1978
Series I: Research Notebooks, ca. 1964-1978
Volume of Series: 0.7 LF
Arranged chronologically be year.
Scope and Content Notes
Huyck's spiral-bound notebooks containing her research notes and observations from site visits to National Park Service areas and notes from discussions with NPS staff. Notebooks are primarily written in long-hand English, but Huyck occasionally used shorthand for note taking. A key to her most common shorthand notations is included.
Series II: Subject Files, ca. 1964-1978
Volume of Series: 1.4 LF
Unarranged.
Scope and Content Note
Research material, correspondence, news clippings, articles, and brochures related to subjects Huyck researched. Material primarily relates to camping, the U.S. Bicentennial, and the Association of Interpretive Naturalists. Camping material includes AAA guides which Huyck developed.
Series III: Agency Files, ca. 1964-1978
Volume of Series: 1.0 LF
Unarranged.
Scope and Content Note
Brochures, correspondence, and news clippings relating to the U.S. Department of the Interior bureaus of Indian Affairs, Land Management, and Reclamation. Files associated with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Forest Service and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) are also present. Includes Bureau of Sports Fisheries and Wildlife.
Series IV: State Files, ca. 1964-1978
Volume of Series: 2.7 LF
Arranged alphabetically by state.
Scope and Content Note
Brochures and pamphlets for National Park Service sites, as well as some national forests, national historic sites, trails, and other related resources. Many of the park brochures and guides are locally prepared and are not found in other NPS History Collection collections. Camping publications by AAA and state agencies are present. Includes NPS and Department of the Interior press releases, some NPS park management plans, and correspondence. News clippings document resources, events, and conservation issues are included.
Explore More!
Looking for something else? Our NPS History Collection finding aids are available to help with your research.