Cover Page

Preface

Introduction

Ironing Out the Wrinkles

Photofile

Bibliography

Notes

Appendix A

National Park Service Uniforms Ironing Out the Wrinkles 1920-1932	Number 3
Ironing Out the Wrinkles (continued)

Rangers A.R. Edwin & R.I. Davis at Headquarters, 1925, Yellowstone National Park. Edwins "clerk" brassard shows very clearly in this photograph. NPSHPC - YELL/130,033

Until now the director's and uniform committee's attempt at ironing out the wrinkles in the uniform regulations were more like bandaids than a cure. The regulations were not rewritten until the existing supply of old ones were used up. At that time any amendments that had been made since the last issue were incorporated into the new regulations. The year 1926 started with the usual routine of trying to update the current regulations with three more positions added to an already cumbersome sleeve insignia list, plus the standard change of a word or two. Two of these positions, park and assistant park naturalist, would fall into the officer category, while the ranger-naturalist, a temporary position, would reside with the rangers. To compound the problem, the chief park rangers at their conference in January at Sequoia passed a resolution "requesting that they be designated as officers of the Service." The old adage about too many chiefs and not enough Indians was becoming a reality.

When Superintendent Lewis said that he had no objections to the changes and suggested adding park naturalists and assistant supervisors to the officer list, Cammerer began to rethink the whole regulation situation. He had drawn up a list of amendments to the current regulations for the secretary's signature but decided to wait until after the superintendents' conference in November. "I think the list of officers should comprise Superintendents, assistant superintendents, chief clerks, full time custodians, engineers, chief rangers, and assistant chief rangers," he wrote in August. "I think all the others should come within the scope of the term 'employees.' " [21]

Lew Davis, c. 1925, chief ranger, Sequoia National Park. The brassard was prescribed to be worn on the right sleeve, (service insignia on the left) but Davis wore one on each sleeve. He is almost always shown wearing non-regulation boots. NPSHPC - HFC/93-327

Cammerer followed by appointing a committee chaired by Superintendent Owen A. Tomlinson of Mount Rainier and including Superintendent J. Ross Eakin of Grand Canyon and Superintendent Roger W. Toll of Rocky Mountain to review the new regulations with him at the superintendents' conference. In doing so he expressed his opposition to the " 'officer and men' idea of the present regulations." He noted that "no such distinction is made in the Forest Service regulations and all employees in the national forests from the Forest Supervisor down to the temporary ranger, wear the same badge and insignia." If the distinction were to be maintained, he felt that only those employees in commanding positions should be designated officers. [22]

Sketch of new collar ornament proposed by Thomas Vint in 1927. It was returned with the suggestion that the US be made smaller. It was but one of many designs submitted but not approved. National Archives RG 79 208.30

At the conference the superintendents voted to replace the USNPS collar insignia with a round device with DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR / NATIONAL PARK SERVICE around the perimeter and US in the center. This chore was delegated to Daniel R. Hull, chief of the Landscape Engineering Division. Invitations were also sent out to the entire Park Service to submit their ideas as to what design should be used. In January 1927 Associate Landscape Engineer Thomas C. Vint forwarded to the director a blueprint of the proposed design. (A copy of the blueprint was not found among the correspondence, although there is what appears to be a working sketch.) Cammerer returned the blueprint with the request that the design be reduced to actual size and the suggestion that it be redrawn with the US "not quite filling the entire center space."

While the engineers were working on the collar insignia, the uniform committee was wrestling with the thorny problem of the uniform regulations. The pressure was on to have them written, approved, and published for the upcoming 1927 season. The committee assembled all the suggestions into a readable format, and Chairman Tomlinson forwarded the recommendations to the director. Probably the most important of them was that all Park Service employees would wear the same uniform without sleeve insignia distinctions except among the rangers.

There were several other proposals. Trousers would be authorized for all but rangers. A cap of forestry whipcord for motorcycle rangers and all other appointees when not on patrol would be added, with an ornament. New buttons of a type and design approved by the director were recommended, as was the new collar ornament. Only rangers would wear badges—gold for chief rangers, chiefs of police, and their assistants, nickel-plated for others.

Women could wear uniforms at the discretion of the director or superintendents; those not required to wear uniforms would have to wear a collar ornament "conspicuously on the front of the waist of the dress."

These men were appointed as a committee to review the new uniform regulations at the 9th Superintendent's Conference, 1926, in Washington, D.C. Left: John Ross Eakin, superintendent, Glacier National Park Center: Roger Wolcott Toll, superintendent, Rocky Mountain National Park Right: Owen A. Tomlinson, superintendent, Mount Rainier National Park NPSHPC - Schutz Photo - HFC/WASO 3553

Left: Daniel Ray Hull, chief Landscape Engineering Division, National Park Service. Image shows Hull in later years. National Archives / 79-SM-47 Right: Thomas Chalmers Vint, Associate Landscape Engineer, National Park Service, 1923-1933. Vint was assigned the task of designing a new collar ornament in 1926, as well as a new badge in 1929, but was unable to come up with a satisfactory design for either. He did, however, develop a satisfactory design for the new embossed hatband. NPSHPC - HFC/RMR-253

Tomlinson's letter of 2 January 29, 1927, transmitting the committee's recommendations to the director also raised the possibilities of a fatigue uniform and gilt buttons: "It has been suggested by some that the Service should prescribe a 'field or patrol uniform' for rough usage, and that we change from the bronze to gilt buttons. The uniform prescribed for station, or 'dress wear,' is too expensive for field work, and, as it is believed that our National Park Service appointees should be readily distinguishable by the public, there should be a field uniform prescribed." Tomlinson felt that the gilt button was more conspicuous and gave the uniform a "snappier" appearance.

T.C. "Tex" Worley, c. 1930 ranger, Yellowstone National Park. Worley is wearing the new uniform clothing adopted in 1928 for motorcycle rangers. Note, also, Tex is wearing his badge on his cap. As far as can be determined, he is the only one to adapt this method of displaying his badge. NPSHPC - HFC/93-364

When Horace Albright, in his role as assistant director (field) reviewed the proposals in March, he took exception to several sections. He did not like the cap being worn by "any officer" when not on duty, the gilt buttons, and the removal of all distinctions between the rangers and officers. Albright thought the proposals should be referred to the superintendents "for consideration at their leisure" and recommended that the 1923 regulations be kept in force until the next superintendents' conference. [23] Concurring, Acting Director Cammerer forwarded to all superintendents, copies of the existing regulations and the uniform committee proposals for them to peruse and comment on at the next conference.

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