Cover Page

Preface

Introduction

The Developing Years

Photofile

Bibliography

Notes

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

National Park Service Uniforms The Developing Years 1932-1970	Number 5
The Developing Years (continued)

The 1921 superintendent's badge (1921-1936-silver) NPSHC

Office Order No. 321 was superceded by 324 on April 13, 1936. The new regulations resurrected the small gold badge originally worn by Directorate officials (1921-1928) and awarded it to park superintendents. Assistant superintendents continued to wear the nickel-plated badge.

The usual field inquiry system may have been instituted prior a decision being made to change the regulations in 1936. It's quite possible that the ideas for a new superintendent's badge were solicited from the field, although there isn't anything in what little official correspondence that survives to support this. There is, however, at least one sketch from this period showing a proposed model for a superintendent's badge. It utilizes a modified version of the standard shield badge design with SUPERINTENDENT on the top.

Proposed(?) 1936 Superintendent's Badge. The origin of this sketch is unknown, but since it is dated 1936, the year the superintendent's badge was changed, it was probably submitted for consideration as a possible candidate for the new badge. It is basically a modified version of the badge being worn at that time. NPSHC-HFC RG Y55

The ranger badge had been changed in 1930 from the original two-piece (round medallion soldered to face of the shield) to a simple, less expensive one-piece badge, utilizing the same design. There was a movement afoot at this time to change the design of the badge to incorporate more information on the face and this cost cutting method was no doubt done in anticipation of this change. The 1930 style badge was retained, however, but although not covered in the regulations, it began to be dapped, or curved, so as to lie close to the coat. This is born out by extant examples known to have been worn during this period.

New hat bands and chinstraps were also prescribed in these new regulations along with a change in the Length-of-Service decorations. With some of the Service employees having been around since long before the formation of the bureau, an abundance of stars and stripes was being worn on their sleeves. To alleviate some of this clutter, a gold star was initiated in 1930 to represent 10 years of service.

A band 5/8" wide, was authorized in 1915 to denote five years service in the National Park Service. This was changed to a 1/8" piece of braid sewn on a piece of the coat material in 1920, which in turn was superceded by a 2" stripe embroidered on the material in 1936. The stars were embroidered on the coat material from 1920 until changed in 1956. NPSHC

But now, the mish-mash of black stripes and gold and silver stars adorning sleeves made the appearance of the uniform worst than ever. This was one of the problems addressed by the new regulations. The stars and stripes were revamped as follows:

"For each year of completed service a black braid, 1/8" wide and 2" long.

After the first star is earned, bars shall be discontinued to indicate service of less than five-year periods. For each five-year period of completed service, a silver embroidered star.

The service insignia shall be worn on the cuff of the left sleeve of the coat and overcoat, the lower stripe or star shall be placed 2-1/2" above end of sleeve. When stripes and stars are worn, stars shall be placed uppermost. When more than one star is worn, they shall be arranged horizontally up to four and triangularly when more than four stars are worn."

The "triangularly" part was to cause some difficulty later with everyone interpreting it his own way. This situation was not corrected until 1942. Another aspect of the stars that wasn't addressed in the regulations was which direction they were to point. Photographs and the later patches indicate that this was to be down, not up as one would suppose.

The new regulations also addressed the problem of stripe uniformity. Up until now, the stripes had been a 3" piece of "narrow silk braid" stitched to a 3" wide strip of uniform fabric the edges of which were to be turned under and stitched to the coat sleeve. Therein lay the difficulty. With each person turning the edges under, the regulation 2" length was seldom attained. The new stripes still came on 3" wide strips of uniform fabric, but now the 1/8" by 2" stripe itself was embroidered on it.

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Last Modified: Wed, Feb 7 2001 11:30:00 pm PDT
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