Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam

American conservationist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam is an American conservationist and founder of the Student Conservation Association.[2]

Born
Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam

1933 (age 92–93)
Sands Point, New York[1]
OthernamesLiz Putnam
OccupationConservationist
Yearsactive1957-1990
Quick facts Born, Other names ...
Elizabeth Titus Putnam
Born
Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam

1933 (age 92–93)
Sands Point, New York[1]
Other namesLiz Putnam
OccupationConservationist
Years active1957-1990
Known forfounding the Student Conservation Association
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Early life and education

Putnam graduated from Miss Porter's School in 1952 and from Vassar in 1955.[2][3]

Founding SCA

As a student at Vassar College in the 1950s, Putnam admired the natural heritage of America's national parks, but worried limited federal financial resources would prevent proper maintenance of the pristine parklands.[4]

In 1955, Putnam wrote her senior thesis at Vassar College, "A Proposed Student Conservation Corps". The idea, modeled after the federal Civilian Conservation Corps program (1933–42), was to take the burden of labor-intensive jobs such as entrance fee collecting or trail work from the National Park Service and shift to the proposed SCC.[5]

Career

After founding the Student Conservation Association in 1957, Putnam served as its President until her retirement in 1990.[6][7]

She currently resides in Shaftsbury, Vermont.[8]

Awards and honors

Gallery of the Student Conservation Association at work - an organization founded by Putnam in 1957

References

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