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)

Despite all their efforts to uniform the service, the uniforming of temporary park rangers continued to be a thorn in the side of superintendents. Horace Albright wrote Lewis in February 1922 suggesting a possible solution. He had located a Mr. Spiro who would furnish trousers, 2 gray flannel shirts, a stiff broad-brimmed cowboy hat, best-grade cordovan-colored puttees, and a green neck tie for $24.50. Albright's letter reveals his sentiment regarding the uniforming of the Service:

Director Mather riding in side car, Yellowstone National Park, (1923). Motorcycles had been used by rangers in patrolling parks, especially Yellowstone, since the late teens. Even Director Mather wasn't adverse to trying out this mode of transportation. NPSHPC - YELL/130,803

"This outfit will be just as pretty as the permanent rangers outfit. With a little encouragement we can get Mr. Spiro to make coats for our men at reasonable prices. Personally, I am going to make every one of my forty temporary rangers buy one of these outfits from trousers to neck tie. I am making the purchase of this outfit a condition of employment.

I presume you saw in the paper a short time ago that the United States Forest Service has decided to make every one of its employees wear uniforms of forest green. You know with what thoroughness the Forest Service carried out its organization plans. I feel that we in the Park Service cannot well afford to let the Forest Service do anything more in the way of uniforming its people than we do, especially in view of the fact that we started to uniform our employees some years ago. Up to the present, in my opinion, we have not been successful. You have most of your permanent men uniformed, but I think you told me that you are dissatisfied with the temporary employees' uniforms. If your temporary men are not satisfactorily uniformed, in my opinion, the indication of organization is very incomplete regardless of how well the permanent men look. Personally, I have been very unhappy about the looks of my temporary rangers, and I have made up my mind that if I cannot satisfactorily uniform the temporary men, then I am not going to pay much more attention to the permanent men.

I think the time has come when the Park Service must be consistent in the matter of uniforms. This means, in my opinion, that we have got to force our temporary employees to buy satisfactory uniforms whether they like it or not." [13]

In anticipation of ordering more badges and collar and sleeve insignia, the director's office requested the original drawings and specifications from Yosemite. These were forwarded, along with Landscape Engineer Daniel R. Hull's entire file on uniforms, and retained at headquarters. The original drawings were not found among the official correspondence, but copies were found enclosed with 1922 and 1924 contracts between the Park Service and E.J. Heiberger & Son, Inc., of Washington, D.C., the successful bidder for furnishing the new order of badges and sleeve and collar insignia.

Superintendent Albright and baby elk. This baby elk was raised by rangers at Mammoth Hot Springs and kept there to be seen by visitors, 1923. Albright was superintendent at Yellowstone National Park, 1919-1929. NPSHPC - Frantz photo - YELL/F-992

The April 5, 1922, contract added a sleeve patch for chief clerks; it was like that for clerks but with three oak leaves instead of two. It provided for "Game Warden" to be added in white beneath the circle on any insignia. Because the nickel plating on the original order of new-style badges had tarnished, it also specified that badges would be made of German silver. In a follow-up letter, Chief Clerk B.L. Vipond amended the contract to include eight "Park Physician" and eight "Park Naturalist" sleeve insignia. These were to be the same as the assistant electrician insignia without the lightning bolts and with the respective designation under the circle. Also, four of the assistant chief ranger insignia were to have "Chief Buffalo Keeper" embroidered under the circle. [14]

Supervisors and assistant supervisors, while considered officers, had been omitted from the 1920 uniform regulations and were not included in the first order of sleeve brassards. This was corrected in 1921 and their patches were included in this contract. They had the usual three and two oak leafs with a wheel as an identifier in the center.

Rangers at Mammoth, 1922. These rangers have their pack animals all loaded and are starting out on patrol at Yellowstone National Park. NPSHPC - YELL/130,006

On June 13, 1922, the January 26, 1921, regulations were amended to specify that "Each officer and ranger upon entrance on duty will be furnished, free of charge, two complete sets of collar ornaments, sleeve insignia, and service stripes." At the same time the Service badge, previously issued without charge, would now require a $5.00 deposit. Only the actual cost of $.80 had been levied in the past to replace a lost badge. "Without questioning the honesty of any individual or group of employees we have best reasons to believe that a number of the badges are kept or given to friends by employees for souvenirs after paying the small amount to cover cost," Acting Director Cammerer wrote. "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." The Service did not wish "to impose a hardship on any employee who actually loses a badge through no negligence on his part," and it was left to the discretion of the superintendent as to whether forfeiture of the deposit was required. [15]

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