260 OUR FEDERAL LANDS 



less there were many others. A little later began 

 the practice of Boy Scout expeditions under super- 

 vision of naturalists. National Park regions had 

 long been the subject of popular lectures by scien- 

 tific observers. 



The first movement toward formal educational 

 organization of which I have heard began in the 

 National Park Service of the Interior Department 

 in 1916 with the writer in charge under title of Chief 

 of the Educational Section ; but it failed for lack of 

 public and official comprehension and co-operation. 

 The idea was altogether new. This was succeeded 

 by organization of a National Park Educational 

 Committee, of which the late Dr. Charles D. Wal- 

 cott was chairman, which, after nearly a year's cor- 

 respondence with educators in many states, resolved 

 itself, in May 1919, into the present National Parks 

 Association under executive management of the 

 writer of this book. 



The Association's educational activities were 

 promotive. It sought to interest educators, schools, 

 universities, associations and learned societies in the 

 National Parks System as an educational institu- 

 tion, and to bring about co-operative activity of a 

 practical kind. The first year's work appeared to be 

 wholly fruitless of result. Many individuals became 

 interested, especially scientists, but no university ex- 

 cept Columbia; and no formal step of any kind, how- 

 ever small, resulted. When, early in 1920, the As- 

 sociation was compelled to drop its educational pro- 



