Ranger Roll Call, 1950-1959

The tables below list the women working working in uniformed positions from 1950-1959 together with their official titles, dates of employment, and the parks where they worked. The tables are organized by year to illustrate how many (or rather how few) women were in uniformed positions in any given year at individual parks and across the NPS.

All positions were temporary unless annotated with a [P] (for permanent) after the woman’s name. WAE means “when actually employed.” This is generally equivalent to today’s subject-to-furlough positions meaning that the women could be laid off when not needed or she may have only worked part time.

Note that this article is a work in progress and information will be updated as it becomes available.

1950

Table 1: 1950 Uniformed Women

Name	Park	Dates	Official Title	Comments
Mildred J. Ericson*	Yellowstone	Jun 5-Sep 4	Park Ranger (Naturalist)
Olive Johnson	Carlsbad Caverns	Exact dates unknown	Guide, WAE
Sallie Pierce Brewer	Tumacacori	Jan 1-May 7	Park Ranger	War Service Indefinite Appointment terminated
Sallie Pierce Brewer	Bandelier	May 17-Oct 8	Park Ranger	Temporary appointment
Jean McWhirt Pinkley [P]	Mesa Verde	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist	Appointment continues in 1951
Anne Livesay	Grand Canyon		Park Ranger (Naturalist)
Louise M. Meekins	Fort Raleigh	Feb 26-	Historical Aide	Reinstatement after RIF from Selective Service
Vera Craig	Morristown		Museum Aid	Veteran service from 1941-1943

*Ericson left NPS after 1950 but returned to Yellowstone in 1961 and 1962 as a Park Ranger (Naturalist). In 1964 she was a naturalist at Sequoia & Kings Canyon before going to the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries.

1951

Table 2: 1951 Uniformed Women

Name	Park	Dates	Official Title	Comments
Olive Johnson	Carlsbad Caverns	Jul 23-Dec 31	Guide	Reassigned. No longer WAE.
Sallie Pierce Brewer [P]	Region Three Headquarters	Jan 2-Dec 31	Archeologist
Jean McWhirt Pinkley [P]	Mesa Verde	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist	Appointment continues in 1952
Louise M. Meekins	Fort Raleigh	Jan 1-Nov 18	Historical Aide
Louise M. Meekins	Fort Raleigh	Nov 19-Dec 31	Tour Leader(Historical Aide)	Promotion
Vera Craig	Morristown		Museum Aid	Veteran service from 1941-1943

1952

Table 3: 1952 Uniformed Women

Name	Park	Dates	Official Title	Comments
Olive Johnson	Carlsbad Caverns	Jan 1-Mar 1 (exact dates unknown)	Guide
Olive Johnson	Carlsbad Caverns	Mar 1-Dec 31	Tour Leader
Sallie Pierce Brewer [P]	Region Three Headquarters	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist
Jean McWhirt Pinkley [P]	Mesa Verde	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist	Appointment continues in 1953.
Beatrice Willard	Lava Beds
Louise M. Meekins	Fort Raleigh	Jan 1-Dec 31	Tour Leader(Historical Aide)
Vera Craig	Morristown		Museum Aid	Veteran service from 1941-1943

1953

Table 4: 1953 Uniformed Women

Name	Park	Dates	Official Title	Comments
Olive Johnson	Carlsbad Caverns	Jan 1-Apr 25	Tour Leader
Olive Johnson	Carlsbad Caverns	Apr 26-Dec 31	First Aid Attendant	Promotion from Tour Leader
Sallie Pierce Brewer [P]	Region Three Headquarters	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist
Jean McWhirt Pinkley [P]	Mesa Verde	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist	Promotion. Appointment continues in 1954.
Nancy Hardin	Rocky Mountain	Summer	Park Ranger (Naturalist)	Did she work before 1953?
Beatrice Willard	Crater Lake
Louise M. Meekins	Fort Raleigh	Jan 1-Dec 31	Tour Leader(Historical Aide)
Vera Craig	Morristown		Museum Aid	Veteran service from 1941-1943

1954

Table 5: 1954 Uniformed Women

Name	Park	Dates	Official Title	Comments
Olive Johnson	Carlsbad Caverns	Jan 1-Dec 31	First Aid Attendant	Appointment continued from 1953
Sallie Pierce Brewer [P]	Region Three Headquarters	Jan 1-Aug 3	Archeologist	Lost job due to a reduction in force action
Sallie Pierce Brewer	Grand Canyon	Aug 4-Nov 3	Park Ranger (Naturalist)
Sallie Pierce Brewer	Casa Grande Ruins	Dec 25-Dec 31	Park Ranger (Naturalist)	Appointment continues in 1955
Jean McWhirt Pinkley [P]	Mesa Verde	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist	Appointment continues in 1955
Nancy Hardin Larson	Rocky Mountain	Summer	Park Ranger (Naturalist)
Louise M. Meekins	Fort Raleigh	Jan 1-Sep 22	Tour Leader(Historical Aide)
Louise M. Meekins	Fort Raleigh	Sep 23-Dec 31	Tour Leader	Promotion
Vera Craig	Morristown		Museum Aid	Veteran service from 1941-1943

1955

Table 6: 1955 Uniformed Women

Name	Park	Dates	Official Title	Comments
Olive Johnson	Carlsbad Caverns	Jan 1-Dec 31	First Aid Attendant	Appointment continued from 1954
Sallie Pierce Brewer	Casa Grande Ruins	Jan 1-May 4	Park Ranger (Naturalist)
Sallie Pierce Brewer	Walnut Canyon	May 17-Nov 13	Archeologist
Jean McWhirt Pinkley [P]	Mesa Verde	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist	Appointment continues in 1956
Nancy Hardin Larson	Rocky Mountain	Summer	Park Ranger (Naturalist)
Louise M. Meekins	Fort Raleigh	Jan 23-Sep 10	Tour Leader	Conversion to Career Appointment
Louise M. Meekins	Cape Hatteras & Fort Raleigh	Sep 11-Dec 31	Historian	Promotion
Vera Craig	Morristown		Museum Aid	Veteran service from 1941-1943

1956

Table 7: 1956 Uniformed Women

Name	Park	Dates	Official Title	Comments
Olive Johnson	Carlsbad Caverns	Jan 1-Dec 31	First Aid Attendant	Appointment continued from 1955
Sallie Pierce Brewer	Casa Grande Ruins	Jan 7-Jun 13	Archeologist
Sallie Pierce Brewer	Walnut Canyon	Jun 14-Jul 16	Archeologist
Sallie Pierce Brewer [P]	Montezuma Castle	Aug 1-Dec 31	Archeologist
Jean McWhirt Pinkley [P]	Mesa Verde	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist	Appointment continues in 1959.
Nancy Hardin Larson	Rocky Mountain	Summer	Park Ranger (Naturalist)
Marilyn Stagner	Grand Canyon		Seasonal Naturalist
Patricia Rand	Grand Canyon		Seasonal Naturalist
Louise M. Meekins	Cape Hatteras & Fort Raleigh	Jan 1-Sep 8	Historian
Louise M. Meekins	Cape Hatteras & Fort Raleigh	Sep 9-Dec 31	Tour Leader	Change to a lower grade
Vera Craig	Morristown		Museum Curator	Promoted sometime in 1956

1957

Table 8: 1957 Uniformed Women

Name	Park	Dates	Official Title	Comments
Olive Johnson	Carlsbad Caverns	Jan 1-Dec 31	First Aid Attendant	Appointment continued from 1956
Sallie Pierce Brewer	Montezuma Castle	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist
Jean McWhirt Pinkley [P]	Mesa Verde	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist	Appointment continues in 1958
Nancy Hardin Larson	Everglades		Park Ranger (Naturalist)
Nancy Van Meter	Everglades		Park Ranger (Naturalist)
Marilyn Stagner	Grand Canyon		Seasonal Naturalist (collaborator?)	“Spent several seasons in the GRCA area working on a PhD.” Father was Howard Stagner.
Patricia Rand	Grand Canyon		Seasonal Naturalist (collaborator?)
Betty Bartlett	Grand Canyon		Seasonal Naturalist	How long did she work?
Louise M. Meekins	Cape Hatteras & Fort Raleigh	Jan 1-Dec 31	Tour Leader
Vera Craig	Morristown		Museum Curator	Transferred to the WASO Museum Division as curator in 1957. Wouldn't have worn a uniform in that position. Retired in 1977.

1958

Table 9: 1958 Uniformed Women

Name	Park	Dates	Official Title	Comments
Beth L. Dickey	Aztec Ruins	Feb 7-Aug 28	Park Ranger (Archeologist)	“Exc Appt”
Beth L. Dickey	Mesa Verde	Aug 28-Oct 15		“Change Headquarters and Change Appointing Office”
Olive Johnson	Carlsbad Caverns	Jan 1-Dec 31	First Aid Attendant	Appointment continued from 1957
Sallie Pierce Brewer [P]	Montezuma Castle	Jan 1-Nov 15	Archeologist	Promotoed 2-14 to GS-7
Sallie Pierce Brewer [P]	Region Three Headquarters	Nov 16-Dec 12	Archeologist	Promoted to GS-9. Duty stationed at Southwest Archeological Center
Jean McWhirt Pinkley [P]	Mesa Verde	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist	Appointment continues in 1959
Marilyn Stagner	Grand Canyon		Seasonal Naturalist(collaborator?)
Patricia Rand	Grand Canyon		Seasonal Naturalist (collaborator?)
Louise M. Meekins	Cape Hatteras & Fort Raleigh	Jan 9-Dec 31	Historian	Promotion
Bera L. Arnn	National Capital Parks	Summer	Seasonal Park Naturalist	Her uniform is in the NPS History Collection

1959

Table 10: 1959 Uniformed Women

Name	Park	Dates	Official Title	Comments
Beth L. Dickey	Bandelier	May 27-Sep 6	Park Ranger (Naturalist)
Beth L. Dickey	White Sands	Sep 6-Oct 17	Park Ranger (Naturalist)	“Reassign and Change Appointing Office.” Left for a job in Mexico
Phyllis Wells Evenden	National Capital Parks		Naturalist?	Became a permanent naturalist in 1960
Olive Johnson	Carlsbad Caverns	Jan 1-Dec 31	First Aid Attendant	Appointment continued until 1962 when she becomes a park guide. Retires in 1974.
Sallie Pierce Brewer	Region Three Headquarters	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist	Duty stationed in Southwestern Archeological Center. Disability retirement on Oct 23, 1967.
Jean McWhirt Pinkley [P]	Mesa Verde	Jan 1-Dec 31	Archeologist	Promoted to supervisory archeologist in 1960. Dies in office at Pecos in 1969.
Margaret Johnson Patterson Bartlett	Andrew Johnson		Museum Aide	President Johnson’s great-granddaughter
Marilyn Stagner	Grand Canyon		Seasonal Naturalist (collaborator?)
Patricia Rand	Grand Canyon		Seasonal Naturalist (collaborator?)
Barbara Chidsey	Zion	Summer	Park Naturalist
Louise M. Meekins	Cape Hatteras & Fort Raleigh	Jan 1-Dec 31	Historian
Bera L. Arnn	National Capital Parks	Summer	Seasonal Park Naturalist	This was her last season.

Explore More!

To learn more about women and the NPS Uniform, visit Dressing the Part: A Portfolio of Women’s History in the NPS.


This research was made possible in part by a grant from the National Park Foundation.