Emma Genevieve Gillette
Encyclopedia
Genevieve Gillette was an early conservationist
in Michigan. She was born in Lansing
on May 19, 1898 and attended Michigan Agricultural College, Michigan State University
. She was the only woman to graduate in the college’s first landscape architecture
class in 1920. Gillette moved to Chicago
where she worked in the office of noted garden designer, Jens Jensen
.
During the early 1920s, she developed a close friendship with P. J. Hoffmaster, Superintendent of State Parks (1922-1934) and later Director of the Department of Conservation. Hoffmaster enlisted the aid of Gillette to scout the state for areas of land having state park potential, an assignment which she made her life’s work.
Beginning in 1924, she helped locate and raise public support and funding for parks at Ludington
, Hartwick Pines
, Wilderness
, and Porcupine Mountains. Other parks included Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
, the Huron-Clinton Metroparks
system, and what was to become the P. J. Hoffmaster State Park in the sand dunes area of Lake Michigan
between Grand Haven and Muskegon.
To assist in garnering public support for her projects, she founded and was president of the Michigan Parks Association. This group was instrumental in promoting a large state bond issue for parks and recreation in 1969. Gillette herself labored on the proposed bond issue for a period of ten years. She was also mainly responsible for securing federal funding for the Michigan state park
s system in the mid-sixties, arguing that substantial numbers of park users were from out-of-state and that these users should share in the cost of upkeep of the state system.
During this period she was also appointed by President Johnson
to serve on the President’s Advisory Committee on Recreation and Natural Beauty. She also served on many other important boards and committees over the years. As late as 1981 she was also serving on the Wilderness and Natural Areas Advisory Board of Michigan by appointment of the Governor.
The Gillette Nature Center at the Hoffmaster State Park
, which was dedicated in 1976, stands as a tribute to this woman whose determination helped to preserve the state’s natural heritage for future generations to enjoy. It might justly be said of Genevieve Gillette: “If you are seeking for her monument, look about you.”
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
in Michigan. She was born in Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
on May 19, 1898 and attended Michigan Agricultural College, Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. She was the only woman to graduate in the college’s first landscape architecture
Landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...
class in 1920. Gillette moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
where she worked in the office of noted garden designer, Jens Jensen
Jens Jensen (landscape architect)
Jens Jensen was a Danish-American landscape architect.-Early life:Jens Jensen was born near Dybbøl in Slesvig, Denmark, in 1860, to a wealthy farming family. For the first nineteen years of his life he lived on his family's farm, which cultivated his love for the natural environment...
.
During the early 1920s, she developed a close friendship with P. J. Hoffmaster, Superintendent of State Parks (1922-1934) and later Director of the Department of Conservation. Hoffmaster enlisted the aid of Gillette to scout the state for areas of land having state park potential, an assignment which she made her life’s work.
Beginning in 1924, she helped locate and raise public support and funding for parks at Ludington
Ludington State Park
Ludington State Park is a state park located just north of Ludington, Michigan between the shores of Lake Michigan and Hamlin Lake. The park encompasses nearly and contains several ecosystems, including: forests, sand dunes, a dam, a Great Lake, and a river.-Big Sable Point Lighthouse:Ludington...
, Hartwick Pines
Hartwick Pines State Park
Hartwick Pines State Park is a 9,672 acre State Park in the US state of Michigan, located in Crawford County near Grayling and Interstate 75. It is the third largest state park on Michigan's Lower Peninsula and the state's fifth-biggest park overall...
, Wilderness
Wilderness State Park
Wilderness State Park is an state park in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Emmet County in Northern Michigan. The nearest towns are Carp Lake, Michigan and Mackinaw City, Michigan. The state park is operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources...
, and Porcupine Mountains. Other parks included Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a United States National Lakeshore located along the northwest coast of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan in Leelanau County and Benzie County....
, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a U.S. National Lakeshore on the shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States. It extends for 42 miles along the shore and covers...
, the Huron-Clinton Metroparks
Huron-Clinton Metroparks
The Huron-Clinton Metroparks system is a regional park system in Metro Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan. The park system includes 13 parks totalling arranged along the Huron River and Clinton River forming a partial ring around the metro area. Plans are in development to finish the ring by...
system, and what was to become the P. J. Hoffmaster State Park in the sand dunes area of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
between Grand Haven and Muskegon.
To assist in garnering public support for her projects, she founded and was president of the Michigan Parks Association. This group was instrumental in promoting a large state bond issue for parks and recreation in 1969. Gillette herself labored on the proposed bond issue for a period of ten years. She was also mainly responsible for securing federal funding for the Michigan state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
s system in the mid-sixties, arguing that substantial numbers of park users were from out-of-state and that these users should share in the cost of upkeep of the state system.
During this period she was also appointed by President Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
to serve on the President’s Advisory Committee on Recreation and Natural Beauty. She also served on many other important boards and committees over the years. As late as 1981 she was also serving on the Wilderness and Natural Areas Advisory Board of Michigan by appointment of the Governor.
The Gillette Nature Center at the Hoffmaster State Park
Hoffmaster State Park
P.J. Hoffmaster State Park is a state park along Lake Michigan located at the southwest corner of Norton Shores, Michigan in Muskegon County and the northwest corner of Spring Lake Township in Ottawa County. It is operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The park includes of land...
, which was dedicated in 1976, stands as a tribute to this woman whose determination helped to preserve the state’s natural heritage for future generations to enjoy. It might justly be said of Genevieve Gillette: “If you are seeking for her monument, look about you.”
External links
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