Guide to the Working Files of NPS Employees

This thematic guide provides a list of the working files for National Park Service (NPS) employees found in various archival collections within 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). To request an in-person research appointment or for more information about these materials or other NPS History Collection holdings, contact the archivist.

A Note about Working Files

This listing of personal papers and working files of NPS personnel is provided to support discovery of both cataloged and uncataloged collections within the NPS History Collection. The files were generated by archeologists, naturalists, biologists, historians, administrative officials, park rangers, superintendents, assistant directors, and directors, and others. Materials include correspondence, meeting agendas and minutes, clippings, publications, photographs, brochures, reports, research files, resumes, and personnel documents. These documents usually reflect the span of an individuals career and, therefore, relate to more than one park. In a few instances, the materials donated were primarily still image collections with some supporting career information.

It is important to note that these materials were heavily "curated" by each employee before donation to the NPS History Collection. Most working files do not reflect a complete history of an employee’s career and don't provide comprehensive information on an issue or project. By their nature, these documents tend to reflect projects or work products of which employees were particularly proud and topics about which they felt strongly. Many were further culled by employees as they have moved to different parks over time or after retirement, further limiting what was received. In addition, the volume of materials varies by individual with some employee working files collections being very limited. Although some personnel file information may be included, official employee personnel files are available from the National Archives and Records Administration's National Personnel Records Center.

List of NPS Director Working Files

The volume of these files in the NPS History Collection varies significantly by director. In some instances, such as that of Stephen T. Mather, the files are about the individual rather than their papers. Files related to former NPS directors are located in many repositories. See Guide to NPS History Resources in Other Repositories for additional information.

For finding aids for these files are available and will be hotlinked to the names below. In the meantime, contact the archivist for more information.

• Albright, Horace M.
• Cammerer, Arno B.
• Demaray, Arthur E.
• Dickenson, Russell E.
• Drury, Newton B.
• Everhardt, Gary
• Hartzog, George B., Jr.
• Kennedy, Roger G.
• Mather, Stephen T.
• Mott, William Penn, Jr.
• Ridenour, James M.
• Stanton, Robert G.
• Walker, Ronald H.
• Whalen, William J.
• Wirth, Conrad L.

List of Other Employee Working Files

This list of employee working files includes job titles or additional information to aid research. These are not all inclusive but generally reflect the highest positions held by an individual. Follow the hotlinks for direct access to finding aids where available. An asterisk means that the documents have been processed and a finding aid is available but it has not yet been posted online.

Although efforts are made to update this list regularly, additional employee working files may have been received or processed. If you don't see what you are looking for below, contact the archivist.

• Allen, Arthur C. [chief curator, Division of Museum Services]
• Allen, Thomas J. [ranger, superintendent, regional director]
• Baggley, George F. [chief ranger at Yellowstone]
• Baker, Howard W. [assistant director]
• Bell, Fred [photographer]
• Bowen, William L. [superintendent]
• Bullard, Bill [naturalist]
• Burns, Ned [museum curator]
• Cadwaller, Susan
• Canfield, David [superintendent; regional chief of operations]
• Carlstrom, Terry [regional director]
• Carpenter, Robert W. [naturalist]
• Chapman, Howard H. [ranger, superintendent, regional director]
• Chatelain, Verne E. [first chief historian]
• Connally, Ernest A. [first director of Office of Archeology & Historic Preservation; associate director]
• Cook, John [associate director]
• Corson, James W. [superintendent]
• Cox, Elbert [regional director]
• Craig, Vera B. [museum curator]
• Dixon, Joseph F. [wildlife biologist]
• Dodge, Natt N. [regional naturalist]
• Doudna, Wilbur [naturalist]
• Dunmire, Bill [superintendent; chief of the Division of Interpretation]
• Durham, Marion J. Riggs [archeologist]
• Elmore, Francis [chief park naturalist]
• Evison, S. Herbert [chief of information; collaborator]
• Felton, James B. [superintendent]
• Fernandez, Valerie [lieutenant, US Park Police]
• Frederick, Larry [chief of interpretation at Rocky Mountain]
• Fredine, Gordon [chief of the Division of International Affairs]
• Freeland, E. L.
• Freeman, Ray [landscape architect; land planner; associate director for operations]
• Fry, George [superintendent]
• Galvin, Denis P. [deputy director]
• Garrison, Lemuel "Lon" [superintendent; NPS assistant chief of information; NPS chief of conservation and protection; regional director; director of the Albright Training Center]
• Gebler, Charles [superintendent]
• Gleason, Vincent [chief of publications]
• Grant, George A. [chief photographer]
• Gregg, H. Raymond [naturalist]
• Hall, Ansel F. [chief naturalist, chief forester]
• Hanks, Allyn F. [superintendent]
• Hart, Judy [Office of Legislation, superintendent]
• Hart, Richard T. [superintendent]
• Hecht, James and Amy
• Heine, Cornelius [historian; special assistant to NPS George B. Hartzog, Jr.]
• Hendrickx, Louis A. [ranger]
• Holland, F. Ross [historian]
• Horne, Robert C. [engineer; associate regional director]
• Hudson, J. Paul [historian]
• Hummel, Edward A. [associate director]
• Hunter, John [regional curator]
• Huppuch, Matthew C. [deputy assistant director; chief recreation planner]
• Jacobson, Robert R. "Jake" [superintendent]
• Johnson, Ron
• Johnson, Sally [historic furnishings curator]
• Joyner, Newell [superintendent]
• Kay, Bill [living history specialist]
• Kent, Alan E. [interpretive planner]
• Koester, Karlota "Kari" [editor]
• Kyston, Cynthia
• Lassiter, J.R.
• Ledford, Annie Laurie [supervisory information clerk]
• Lee, Ronald F. [assistant director of Historic Sites; assistant director of Research and Interpretation; chief of interpretation; regional director; chief historian]
• Lewis, Ralph H. [museum curator]
• Lock, Stan [ranger; environmental coordinator]
• Maier, Herbert [architect, regional director]
• Maguire, Meg [Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service]
• McDougall, W.B. [biologist]
• McDowell, Mary Jane [ranger]
• Merkle, Gretchen [commander, US Park Police]
• Morris, David [superintendent]
• Mortensen, A. Russell [chief of the Branch of Park History; chief historian; assistant director in charge of the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation]
• Murie, Adolph [biologist]
• Myers, Wade [information specialist at Harpers Ferry Center]
• Nelson, Bobby
• Norris, Tom [superintendent]
• Nusbaum, Jesse L. [archeologist, superintendent]
• Oliff, Hazel [executive secretary]
• Oslen, Bob [historian]
• Packard, Fred M. [wildlife technician]
• Palmer, George A. [superintendent, acting regional director]
• Pesonen, Alex [Civilian Conservation Corps inspector]
• Peterson, Harold L. [chief curator]
• Pinkley, Frank "Boss" [custodian, Southwestern National Monuments]
• Porter, Charles W. III [chief historian]
• Price, Ray [chief of wayside exhibits, Harpers Ferry Center]
• Rath, Frederick L. [historian]
• Reynolds, John J.* [deputy director]
• Reynolds, Robert W. "Bob" [superintendent]
• Rickey, Nan V. [historic furnishings curator]
• Roberts, John W. [chief archivist]
• Ruhle, George C. [chief naturalist at Rocky Mountain]
• Russell, Richard W. [curator]
• Shellback, Louis [chief park naturalist]
• Schiffman, Saul [senior exhibit planner, Harpers Ferry Center]
• Schulz, Paul "Ernie" [superintendent]
• Skinner, M.P. [naturalist at Yellowstone]
• Stoneburner, Daniel L.
• Stottlemyer, Robert [chief scientist]
• Stupka, Arthur [first park naturalist at Great Smoky Mountains]
• Svejda, George [historian]
• Swem, Theodor R. [assistant director for cooperative activities; regional director]
• Thompson, Ben H. [biologist; special assistant to the NPS director; chief of the Land Planning Division]
• Tilden, Freeman [collaborator]
• Tolson, Hillory [regional director]
• Utley, Robert M. [director of the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation; assistant director Park Historic Preservation; chief historian]
• Wallace, David H. [museum curator]
• Webb, Melody [historian]
• Weinbaum, Paul [curator; historian]
• Williams, Jack R. [superintendent]
• Williams, Tom [ranger]
• Williss, Frank [historian]
• Wilson, Adele N. "Niki"* [public affairs officer]
• Wood, Bruce W.

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Looking for something else? Our NPS History Collection finding aids are available to help with your research.