Hugh Grinnell, an Arizona Humanities speaker, presents The Explorations and Discoveries of George Bird Grinnell, The Father of Glacier National Park. The great West that George Bird Grinnell first encountered in 1870 as a 21-year old man disappeared before his eyes in a very short amount of time. Nobody was quicker to sense the desecration or was more eloquent in crusading against the poachers, hide hunters, and a disengaged U.S. Congress than George Bird Grinnell, the “Father of American Conservation.” Grinnell founded the first Audubon Society to save non-game birds from extinction due to feather collections used in ladies hats, cofounded the Boone and Crockett Club with Teddy Roosevelt an important friend, and led the effort to establish Glacier National Park as well as lobbying for other parks. George Grinnell discovered the Grinnell Glacier in 1887. He was a frequent contributor of articles to the Forest and Stream newspaper which he eventually purchased after graduating from Yale. This presentation travels back in time to the 19th century by listening to Grinnell’s own words taken from his field journals, memoirs, personal correspondence, and newspaper editorials.
Hugh Grinnell received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The University of Arizona. Since his retirement in 2004, Grinnell has studied the history of the great American West. After discovering an old Great Northern Railway (GNR) passenger car named “Grinnell Glacier,” he researched the origin of the car’s name. The GNR Grinnell Glacier was named in honor of George Bird Grinnell a naturalist and explorer, a distant cousin of Hugh Grinnell. Grinnell continues to carry on his research of George Bird Grinnell (“the man called Bird”) and the Grinnell family, writing articles and producing DVDs. In 2010, he presented “Saving the Great American West” at the annual convention of the GNR Historical Society and 100th anniversary of the establishment of Glacier National Park, held in Glacier National Parke.
The general public may attend an Arizona Archaeology Society – Desert Foothills Chapter meeting at no charge, except for the holiday party in December. The AAS-DFC meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month, September through May. There are refreshments available at 7:00 PM and the meeting begins at 7:30 PM, usually ending prior to 9:00 PM. The meetings are held in the community building (Maitland Hall) at The Good Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church, 6502 East Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 (near the Dairy Queen). www.azarchsoc.org/desertfoothills
