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Badges
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National Park Service Uniforms Badges and Insignia 1894-1991 |
Number 1 |
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Although badges were omitted from the 1920 uniform regulations, there was a new badge designed and passed for the use of the National Park Service. This badge was first issued in June 1920. [8] It is a flat, two-piece badge, with a coined center the size of a fifty cent piece featuring an eagle facing forward, with outswept wings, its head looking to the left, mounted on a shield with U.S. PARK RANGER across the top. The coined center is an exact copy of a seal that appears on the back of the cover paper of the National Park Portfolio published in 1916 (see below). This seal does not appear elsewhere. All subsequent editions of the portfolio used the Department of the Interior seal.
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1920-1930
1920-1930 Permanent and temporary rangers | |
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There was only one style of badge and it was intended that all qualified employees, officers and rangers were to wear it. The whole was nickel plated. Apparently the nickel plating was of an inferior quality, because on January 7, 1921, Engineer George E. Goodwin complained that "the present badges are not satisfactorily plated, in that they are beginning to turn yellow and do not retain their original silver color." [9]
There was also much dissatisfaction over the fact that the officers (all permanent employees other than rangers) were required to wear the same badge as the rangers. It was suggested that the 1905 badge be retained for the officers, and that to differentiate between the chief and assistant chief rangers and the park and temporary rangers, the former two have gold-plated badges. [10]
Service headquarters agreed that the badges of the officers should be different from those of the rangers. So when the 1921 regulations were drawn up, they specified that the officers would have a round badge, actually the coined center portion of the standard ranger badge. The ranger badge design remained the same as the 1920. The regulations authorized the following:
Director and assistant director--gold-plated round badge
All other officers--nickel plated round badge
Chief and assistant chief rangers--gold-plated shield badge
Park and temporary rangers--nickel-plated shield badge
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1921-1928 and 1936-1960
1921-1928 Director and assistant directors | |
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Even though the 1921 regulations prescribed that the park ranger badge be the same as the 1920, the specifications sent with the contract called for it to be German silver. [11] The chief and assistant chief ranger badges were the same as the ranger, except for the gold plating.
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1921-1930 Flat, two-piece, gold-plated German silver | |
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There is also evidence that although the regulations called for the superintendent's badge to be nickel plated, at least some of them were sterling. [12]
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1921-1960
1921-1936 Superintendents | |
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The 1921 badges were furnished by F.J. Heiberger & Son, Inc., of Washington, D.C., but since they are unmarked the manufacturer is unknown.
In early April 1921, exception was taken to all of the officers wearing the same badge. Acting Director Arno B. Cammerer considered the badge to be an emblem of authority and felt that only those in positions of command should wear them. About this time a request came in from a superintendent for badges for his clerks, per the regulations. This prompted Director Mather, on April 13, 1921, to amend the new regulations to read that the only officers authorized to wear badges were superintendents, assistant superintendents, and custodians. [13]
The 1921 uniform regulations were amended on June 13, 1922, to specify that "the service badge, that had previously been issued to employees without charge, would now require a $5 deposit." [14] When the badge was lost previously, the replacement cost of eighty cents was levied. Cammerer explained the rationale for the higher deposit:
"Without questioning the honesty of any individual or group of employees we have best reasons to believe that a number of badges are kept or given to friends by employees for souvenirs after paying the small amount to cover cost. These badges are issued to indicate Federal authority and every precaution must be taken to prevent them from falling into the hands of unauthorized persons." [15]
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This emblem was printed on the back of the cover for the National Park Portfolio, 1916. It was used as a model for the center of the 1920 ranger and 1921 officer badges. |
If a ranger "lost" his badge, the deposit was forfeit, and another five dollars was required before he could be issued a new one. No charge was made for replacing broken badges. If the ranger could prove to his superintendent that the badge had been lost through no negligence on his part, the superintendent had the authority to issue another without additional charge. [16]
This arrangement remained in effect until June 15, 1938, when Office Order No. 350 rescinded the five-dollar deposit requirement. It declared instead that "Each temporary ranger and/or fire guard . . . must be informed that unless the badge and collar ornaments are returned in good condition, a deduction of $5.00 will be made for each badge which may be lost."
When the regulations were being revised in 1928, it was questioned whether badges were necessary for the director and assistant director.
It was decided that since these officials did not have direct command responsibility in the field, they were not necessary, and they were subsequently eliminated from the new regulations. The other badges, though, remained the same.
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Last Modified: Thurs, Jul 28 2000 07:08:48 am PDT
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/workman1/vol1c3.htm
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