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Collection Summary | |
Creator: | Joe Carithers |
Collection Name | Joe Carithers Papers |
Inclusive Dates: | 1909-2001 |
Bulk Dates: | (bulk 1958-1977) |
Physical Description: | 11.5 linear feet |
Abstract | The Joe Carithers papers contain correspondence, work records, and personal records pertaining to Carither’s work and family life as a nature conservationist and Special Assistant to former Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall. |
Collection Number | MS 600 |
Language: | Materials are in English. |
Repository |
University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections University of Arizona PO Box 210055 Tucson, AZ 85721-0055 Phone: 520-621-6423 Fax: 520-621-9733 URL: http://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/ E-Mail: LBRY-askspcoll@email.arizona.edu |
Joseph Frank Carithers, Jr. (1926-2001) was as a conservationist in Southern Arizona and an advocate for the creation and maintenance of National Parks in the western United States. Carithers was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Joseph and Doris Carithers. In 1932, the Carithers family moved to Tucson, Arizona. Joseph Carithers, Sr. became superintendent of Tucson Mountain Park in 1937. Carithers attended Roskruge Junior High School and Tucson Senior High School, though he did not graduate from the latter.
In October 1944, Carithers enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Philippines and Japan until November 1946. Upon returning to Tucson, Carithers received his General Education Diploma and briefly attended the University of Arizona (1947-1948). In 1948, Joe Carithers married Hildegarde Meurer. Meurer had a daughter, Lynda Anne (1945), from her previous marriage. Carithers and Meurer had one son, Douglas Lee Carithers (1949).
Carithers succeeded his father as Superintendent of Tucson Mountain Park in 1949 and worked for the park until 1957. During these years, Carithers became involved in a number of regional conservation organizations including the Tucson Audubon Society (President, 1955-1957), Arizona Conservation Coordinating Committee, (Chairman, 1955), and the Desert Protective Council (Executive director, 1960). In 1956, Carithers co-founded the Arizona State Parks Association and was named temporary chairman of the organization. Arizona Governor Ernest W. McFarland awarded Carithers with a citation for, “outstanding leadership and service to the State of Arizona,” in 1957.
In April of 1957, Carithers accepted a position as Assistant Western Representative of the National Parks Association and his family relocated to Carmel Valley, California. Devereux Butcher (1907-1991), Carither’s long-time friend and colleague in the National Parks Association, left the Association in 1959 and founded National Wildlands News in Washington, D.C. Carithers was invited to join Butcher at National Wildlands News and the family relocated to Washington, D.C. in 1960.
Stewart Udall, United States Secretary of the Interior (1961-1969), named Carithers a Special Assistant to the Secretary in April of 1961. From 1962 through 1968, Carithers occupied a number of posts in the National Park Service, working from both the Regional Office in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Washington, D.C. Between 1968 and 1977, Carithers was posted to Canyonlands National Park and Big Bend National Park.
Joe Carithers believed strongly that sites of natural heritage should not be disturbed for manmade projects. In the 1950s and 1960s, he vocally opposed the Shrine of the Ages monument, designed by Harold E. Wagoner, within Grand Canyon National Park and proposed rifle ranges in Tucson Mountain Park. Carithers was also critical of the Glen Canyon Dam project which flooded a large area of Northern Arizona to create Lake Mead. Of particular concern was the fate of Rainbow Bridge National Monument which was within the projected flood zone. In the early 1960s, Carithers was also active as a proponent of the proposed Saguaro National Monument, now Saguaro National Park.
Throughout his life, Joe Carithers wrote poetry and essays which often reflected his appreciation for nature and public parks. He also took extensive photographs of park lands and drew illustrations of nature scenes.
Joseph Frank Carithers, Jr. died at his home in Roswell, New Mexico on June 20, 2001.
The Joe Carithers papers document Carithers’ career as a conservationist and his involvement in national parks throughout the twentieth century. The papers contain ephemera, newspaper clippings, agendas, memoranda, correspondence, reports, photographs, personal objects, and books, many of which pertain to the Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell, conservation efforts aimed at Rainbow Bridge National Monument, the proposed Shrine of the Ages chapel, the founding of the Arizona State Parks Association, administration changes at the National Parks Association, and the creation of Saguaro National Monument. The papers also include a vial of water from Rainbow Bridge National Monument dated 1960. Some documents were acquired and retained by Carithers in the course of his work with the National Parks Service. Others were provided to Carithers by colleagues who worked elsewhere in conservation. The Joe Carithers papers do not contain documents related to Carithers’ employment with the City of Odessa, Texas.
There are no restrictions on this collection.
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the University of Arizona, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.
The Nature Conservancy in Arizona Records, 1884-1999 (MS 408)
Robert Black Civilian Conservation Corps Collection, 1930s-2000 (MS 445)
Tucson Audubon Society Records, 1944-[ongoing] (MS 368)
See also:
National Parks Service. From Good Neighbors to Armed Camps: Mexico, the United States, and Big Bend National Park, 1944-1980. “Big Bend: Administrative History.” Last updated 3 March 2003: http://npshistory.com/publications/bibe/adhi/chap17.htm.
John R. Moore. Interview number 851: Joseph Carithers. Big Bend National Park Oral History Project. University of Texas at El Paso Oral History Institute. 3 July 1994: http://digitalcommons.utep.edu/interviews/851/.
Joe Carithers Papers (MS 600). Special Collections, University of Arizona Libraries.
When accessioned by Special Collections, the papers were almost entirely in chronological order. Photographs, reports, and other documents were interfiled with correspondence based on date. This may have reflected the papers’ previous use as a family record, or use by Joe Carither’s while drafting his memoirs. Series 2-5 were constructed from the original folder contents to create additional subject- and organization-based access points.
The Joe Carithers Papers were processed by Dani Stuchel in September of 2017.
Correspondence, 1935-1999 | |||||||||||
This series contains correspondence sent by or to Joe Carithers, his supervisors, or colleagues including carbon copies of correspondence to third parties. This series holds the correspondence sent by or to Carithers and Stewart Udall during Carither’s tenure as a Special Assistant to Udall (1961-1962). | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
1 | 1 | Correspondence, 1935 | |||||||||
1 | 2 | Correspondence, 1954 | |||||||||
1 | 3 | Correspondence, January-June, 1955 | |||||||||
1 | 4 | Correspondence, July-December, 1955 | |||||||||
1 | 5 | Correspondence, January-April, 1956 | |||||||||
1 | 6 | Correspondence, May-August, 1956 | |||||||||
1 | 7 | Correspondence, September-December, 1956 | |||||||||
1 | 8 | Correspondence, January-March, 1957 | |||||||||
1 | 9 | Correspondence, April-June, 1957 | |||||||||
1 | 10 | Correspondence, July-September, 1957 | |||||||||
1 | 11 | Correspondence, October-December, 1957 | |||||||||
1 | 12 | Correspondence, January-June, 1958 | |||||||||
1 | 13 | Correspondence, July-December, 1958 | |||||||||
1 | 14 | Correspondence, January-April, 1959 | |||||||||
1 | 15 | Correspondence, May-August, 1959 | |||||||||
1 | 16 | Correspondence, September-December, 1959 | |||||||||
1 | 17 | Correspondence, January-March, 1960 | |||||||||
1 | 18 | Correspondence, April-June, 1960 | |||||||||
1 | 19 | Correspondence, July-December, 1960 | |||||||||
1 | 20 | Correspondence, 1961 | |||||||||
1 | 21 | Correspondence, 1962 | |||||||||
1 | 22 | Correspondence, 1963 | |||||||||
1 | 23 | Correspondence, 1964 | |||||||||
1 | 24 | Correspondence, 1967 | |||||||||
1 | 25 | Correspondence, 1968 | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
2 | 1 | Correspondence, 1973 | |||||||||
2 | 2 | Correspondence, 1979 | |||||||||
2 | 3 | Correspondence, 1993 | |||||||||
2 | 4 | Correspondence, 1999 | |||||||||
2 | 5 | Correspondence, Undated |
Work files, 1918-1977 | |||||||||||
This series contains Joe Carithers’ Work files related to his employment and volunteer service with the United States Federal Government and various conservation organizations across the United States. Subseries 1 contains official documents from his work with the Department of Interior. For correspondence during this time, see correspondence folders for 1961-1979. Subseries 2 contains materials related to Carithers’ other employment and volunteer work including the National Parks Association. Correspondence related to this work can be found in the appropriate Series I folder. | |||||||||||
United States Federal Government, 1918-1977 | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
2 | 6 | Department of Interior, 1918, 1940-1960 | |||||||||
2 | 7 | Department of Interior, 1961 (1 of 2) | |||||||||
2 | 8 | Department of Interior, 1961 (2 of 2) | |||||||||
2 | 9 | Department of Interior, 1962-1965 | |||||||||
2 | 10 | Department of Interior, 1966-1967 | |||||||||
2 | 11 | Department of Interior, 1968 | |||||||||
2 | 12 | Department of Interior, 1971, 1973 | |||||||||
2 | 13 | Department of Interior, 1974-1975 | |||||||||
2 | 14 | Department of Interior, 1976-1977 | |||||||||
2 | 15 | Department of Interior, Undated | |||||||||
2 | 16 | Travel vouchers, 1962-1968 | |||||||||
2 | 17 | Travel vouchers, 1969-1971 | |||||||||
2 | 18 | Travel vouchers, 1972-1973 | |||||||||
2 | 19 | Travel vouchers, 1974-1977 | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
10 | Blueprints, 1949 | ||||||||||
Other work, 1927-1969 | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
2 | 20 | Arizona Conservation Coordinating Committee, 1954 | |||||||||
2 | 21 | Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 1969 | |||||||||
2 | 22 | Arizona State Parks Association, 1956-1960 | |||||||||
2 | 23 | Desert Protective Council, 1955-1959 | |||||||||
2 | 24 | National Parks Association, 1927, 1955-1957 | |||||||||
2 | 25 | National Parks Association, 1958-1960, undated | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
3 | 1 | The Nature Conservancy, 1953-1956 | |||||||||
3 | 2 | The Nature Conservancy, 1957-1958, undated | |||||||||
3 | 3 | Sierra Club, 1957-1958 | |||||||||
3 | 4 | Trustees for Conservation, 1956 | |||||||||
3 | 5 | Tucson Audubon Society, 1960 | |||||||||
3 | 6 | Tucson Mountain Park, 1951-1960 | |||||||||
3 | 7 | Tucson Mountain Park, undated |
Personal files, 1962-2001 | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
3 | 8 | General personal papers, 1962-2001 | |||||||||
3 | 9 | Illustrations, undated | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
11 | Personal objects |
Writings, 1958-1993 | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
3 | 10 | Essays and poems, 1958-1993 | |||||||||
3 | 11 | Field notes, 1957-1964 | |||||||||
3 | 12 | Story ideas, undated | |||||||||
3 | 13 | References, undated | |||||||||
3 | 14 | “The Quiet Crisis,” manuscript, 1962 (1 of 2) | |||||||||
3 | 15 | “The Quiet Crisis,” manuscript, 1962 (2 of 2) | |||||||||
3 | 16 | “The Quiet Crisis,” references and notes, 1962, undated | |||||||||
3 | 17 | “The Quiet Crisis,” drafts, 1962 | |||||||||
3 | 18 | “Shadows at my Back,” front matter, undated | |||||||||
3 | 19 | “Shadows at my Back,” chapters 1-3, undated | |||||||||
3 | 20 | “Shadows at my Back,” chapters 4-6, undated | |||||||||
3 | 21 | “Shadows at my Back,” chapters 8-9, undated | |||||||||
3 | 22 | “Shadows at my Back,” chapters 11-14, undated | |||||||||
3 | 23 | “Shadows at my Back,” chapters 15-18, undated | |||||||||
3 | 24 | “Shadows at my Back,” chapters 19-21, undated | |||||||||
3 | 25 | “Shadows at my Back,” inserts, undated |
Photographs, 1945-1978 | |||||||||||
This series contains photographic materials created by Joe and Hildegarde Carithers, Devereux Butcher, and possibly others. These materials are primarily organized by geographic location or subject. Subseries 1 contains full-size photographic prints. Subseries 2 contains contact prints. Subseries 3 contains photographic negatives. Subseries 4 contains transparency slides. Photographic negatives are labeled with location and date information if such information was provided by Carithers. Folder titles for the contact prints and full-size photographs provide a partial account of locations and subjects within the photographic negatives. | |||||||||||
Photographs, 1945-1978 | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
4 | 1 | Carithers family, 1945-1996 | |||||||||
4 | 2 | Canyonlands National Park, undated | |||||||||
4 | 3 | Carmel Valley, 1958 | |||||||||
4 | 4 | Great Basin National Park, undated | |||||||||
4 | 5 | Luckenbach, Texas, 1978 | |||||||||
4 | 6 | Old Tucson, undated | |||||||||
4 | 7 | Prairie National Park Project, undated | |||||||||
4 | 8 | Rainbow Bridge National Monument, circa 1909, 1946-1967 | |||||||||
4 | 9 | Saguaro National Monument, 1961, undated | |||||||||
4 | 10 | Tucson Mountain Park, circa 1958 | |||||||||
4 | 11 | Udall, Stewart, undated | |||||||||
4 | 12 | Zion National Park, undated | |||||||||
4 | 13 | Unidentified photos, 1961, undated | |||||||||
4 | 14 | Photo album, 1957 | |||||||||
Contact prints, 1959-1960 | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
4 | 15 | 17 Mile Drive, undated | |||||||||
4 | 16 | Architecture, undated | |||||||||
4 | 17 | Arizona snow scenes and Mount Lemmon, undated | |||||||||
4 | 18 | Aztec, undated | |||||||||
4 | 19 | Bandelier, undated | |||||||||
4 | 20 | Big Bend, undated | |||||||||
4 | 21 | Carlsbad Caverns, undated | |||||||||
4 | 22 | Casa Grande, undated | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
5 | 1 | Chiricahua, undated | |||||||||
5 | 2 | Coronado, undated | |||||||||
5 | 3 | Glacier, undated | |||||||||
5 | 4 | Gran Quivira, undated | |||||||||
5 | 5 | Grand Canyon, undated | |||||||||
5 | 6 | Grand Teton, undated | |||||||||
5 | 7 | Hearst Castle, undated | |||||||||
5 | 8 | Hohokam canals and Snaketown, Arizona, 1967, undated | |||||||||
5 | 9 | Lassen Volcanic, 1960 | |||||||||
5 | 10 | Lehman Caves and Elk Hearing, 1959 | |||||||||
5 | 11 | Mendoza Canyon, Arizona, undated | |||||||||
5 | 12 | Mount Rainier, undated | |||||||||
5 | 13 | Oregon dunes, 1960 | |||||||||
5 | 14 | Organ Pipe Cactus, undated | |||||||||
5 | 15 | Personalities, meetings, etc., undated | |||||||||
5 | 16 | Petrified forest, undated | |||||||||
5 | 17 | Rainbow Bridge – First Trek, 1960 | |||||||||
5 | 18 | Saguaro, undated | |||||||||
5 | 19 | Sequoia, undated | |||||||||
5 | 20 | Shiprock, New Mexico, undated | |||||||||
5 | 21 | Tonto, undated | |||||||||
5 | 22 | Tumacacori, undated | |||||||||
5 | 23 | White Sands, undated | |||||||||
5 | 24 | Wupatki-Sunset Creek, undated | |||||||||
5 | 25 | Yellowstone, undated | |||||||||
5 | 26 | Yosemite, undated | |||||||||
5 | 27 | Zion, undated | |||||||||
5 | 28 | Unidentified, undated | |||||||||
Safety negatives, undated | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
5 | 29 | Oversize safety negatives, undated | |||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
6 | Animals – Rocky Mountain, undated | ||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
7 | Rocky Mountain – Zion, undated | ||||||||||
7 | Unidentified, undated | ||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
8 | Unidentified, undated | ||||||||||
Transparency slides, undated | |||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
8 | Unidentified, undated | ||||||||||
box | folder | ||||||||||
9 | Devereux Butcher transparency slides, undated |