Jean Pinkley
Jean McWhirt Pinkley (1910-1969) was one of the foremost female archeologists for the National Park Service (NPS). After graduating from the University of Arizona with a Masters in Anthropology and Archeology in 1936, she entered the junior park archeologist civil service program. This would start her instrumental career of excavating and conveying the stories of Southwest history to visitors.
In 1939, she was assigned to Mesa Verde National Park as a Museum Assistant. Here, she outperformed many men, and was assigned Chief of the Interpretive Division. This was a time when women were routinely denied uniformed placement in the NPS, making Pinkley’s assignment especially impressive. Famously, of a request to hire Jean Pinkley as a ranger-naturalist, Chief Naturalist Carl Russell wrote, “There is no good reason why women should not hold park naturalist jobs; we have simply said, rather arbitrarily, that we do not favor the placement of women in these positions. As a general rule I think we are right in this.”
In spite of this attitude present in the Park Service, Pinkley was foundational in the establishment of the Mesa Verde museum. She also had a large part in the planning and undertaking of the Wetherill Mesa Archeological Project, which was the largest ever single archeological excavation ever done by the National Park Service at the time. Pinkley’s contributions include planning for the project, as well as serving as the park superintendent advisor on interpretation and research issues relating to the project.
After her service at Mesa Verde National Park, Pinkley was selected to led the Pecos Project in 1966, which stabilized and excavated the Pecos Mission for Pecos National Historic Monument. This work was complex, and required Pinkley to call upon her extensive archeological career to figure out the preservation of and story behind one of the largest Spanish Missions. Her work greatly added to our understanding of the Mission, New Mexican history, as well as to understanding of Pueblo history in general.
For her extensive career and service to the Parks service, Pinkley received the Department of the Interior’s Meritorious Award in 1967. Travelers to the Southwest can learn from Pinkley’s career as they explore the ruins she helped tell the story of.
