Carl Parcher Russell

Who was Carl Parcher Russell?

Carl Parcher Russell, historian, ecologist, and administrator, was born January 18, 1894 in Fall River, Wisconsin. He joined the National Park Service in 1923 as a Naturalist in Yosemite National Park. In 1931 he received a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Michigan. He served as an officer for the NPS for 34 years, from 1923 until his retirement in 1957. He was the Chief Naturalist of Yosemite from 1923 to 1929. He specialized in frontier history, studying its material culture in minute detail, and documented pioneer life for the NPS and others.

Dr. Russell served in several regional positions in the NPS, including NPS Chief Naturalist of Yosemite, regional director, and Yosemite National Park Superintendent. Dr. Russell retired from the park service in 1957 and died June 19, 1967.