Earl P. Hanson, CSPRA Honorary State Park Ranger 1973

In 1973 the California State Park Rangers Association selected Earl P. Hanson to become an Honorary State Park Ranger.

Through his energy and character, Hanson became the department's "Mr. Park Ranger," mentoring generations of rangers and other park staff throughout the system.

He believed that "Better Rangers are not necessarily born, they are developed," and wrote a column for the agency newsletter titled, The Better Ranger.

At the Saturday night banquet during the General Executive Council meeting, Earl Hanson was presented the highest honor bestowed by CSPRA. Hanson's surprise selection came after he had reported earlier, for the honorary ranger committee, that there would be none for 1972. Dick Brock read the following citation:

"Our Association Constitution provides for a class of membership which few people have attained. It is the one of Honorary Ranger. It includes; Newton B. Drury, Dr. Pearl Chase, Verna Dunshee, Walt Disney and Percy French. Tonight we will add another name to our honor list. I will touch some of the highlights of his achievements as I am sure most of you are familiar with his career.

He has had more than forty years of park and recreation experience. For some ten years, prior to graduation from college, he worked with the city of Oakland Recreation Department as Playground Director and Assistant Camp Manager and Social Recreation Director. He was a forestry major at the University of California, Berkeley and received his B.S. Degree in 1936. However, before graduating, in fact about three years earlier, in 1933, he got married. During the following years he and his wife raised three children, one boy and two girls. In 1936 this man began his career with the California Division of Parks as a Seasonal Nature Guide.

For the next thirty years or so he served with distinction in various capacities with the Division of Parks, the Division of Beaches and Parks, and the Department of Parks and Recreation. He found time for many other conservation and park related activities. In 1952 he received the state award for outstanding service to conservation education in California through the medium of youth education, and pioneering the state park naturalist program. This was an award by the National Association for Conservation Education. In 1962, after holding various offices in the National Conference on State Parks, he was elected president, the first Californian to be accorded this honor. He was an active member of the committee that established the park management curriculum in 1956 at Sacramento State College and also served as lecturer for some courses.

In June 1948 this man was appointed Deputy Chief, Division of Beaches and Parks and served until 1967. During this period he was acting Chief three different times. He was appointed Chief of the division in May 1967 and served in that capacity until his retirement. Since he has retired he has continued his support of the conservation efforts, the California State Park System, and this Association in which he is a charter member.

For many years he wrote a column for News and Views titled "The Better Ranger" in which he commented on all aspects of the park system and conservation. I suspect that most of you have known for some minutes the identity of our Honorary Ranger and will agree with me that he fully meets the criteria.

On behalf of the California State Park Rangers Association it is my privilege to present this certificate of honorary membership to Division Chief Emeritus Earl P. Hanson, the better ranger.