Russell, Carl Parcher, 1894-1967

Official of the United States National Park Service.

From the description of Papers, 1920-1967. (Washington State University). WorldCat record id: 29852588

Carl Parcher Russell, historian, ecologist, and administator, was an officer for the National Park Service for 34 years, from 1923 until his retirement in 1957. He was dedicated to the study of the frontier. His concern for the minute, everyday facets of frontier life was expanded and intensified with a passion to such depths that during these years, and afterwards to his death in 1967, he was regarded by his peers as the authority in his fields of specialization: the fur trade, and documentation for historical interpretation of frontier and pioneer life for the National Park Service and other agencies.

Dr. Russell was devoted to the development and stimulation of interest in and encouragement of a more complete understanding of life on the western frontier from exploration through early national expansion. This collection, the product of his scholorship and technical knowledge, may now be drawn upon by scholars for research and interpretation of this significant and romantic period in Western United States history.

In the ten years remaining after his retirement, Russell gave most of his time and energy to pursuit of knowledge in his fields of interest and he was active as a published author, lecturer, and planner and consultant for historical museums and facilities. His Firearms, Traps and Tools of the Mountain Men, published posthumously by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., in 1967, is a capstone to his life's work. Unfortunately, this title is but the second of an incomplete trilogy; in the collection are hundreds of items he was unable to exploit in his plan to write more concerning the methods and details in the lives of the explorers, trappers, traders, frontiersmen, soldiers, and pioneer migrants.

• 1894: Born, January 18, Fall River, Wisconsin
• 1915: A.B. (Biology), Ripon College
• 1917: M.A. (Cytology), University of Michigan
• 1922: Married Elizabeth M. Westphal
• 1923 - 1929 : Entered the National Park Service; Park Naturalist, Yosemite National Park
• 1929 - 1934 : Field Naturalist and Museum Specialist
• 1935 - 1936 : Chief, Museum Division, National Park Service
• 1936: Oberlander Fellowship; Tour of European museums (Carl Schurz Memorial Foundation)
• 1936 - 1937 : Chief, Wildlife Division, National Park Service
• 1947 - 1952 : Superintendent, Yosemite National Park
• 1951: LL.D., Ripon College
• 1952: Guggenheim Fellowships
• 1954 - 1957 : Coordinator of Research and Interpretation, Western Office, National Park Service
• 1957: Retired
• 1957: Guns on the Early Frontiers published, University of California Press
• 1967: Death, June 19
• 1967: Firearms, Traps and Tools of the Mountain Men published, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

From the guide to the Carl Parcher Russell Papers, 1920-1967, (Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC))