Smokey Bear (often unofficially referred to as
Smokey the Bear) is a
mascotThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of the
United States Forest ServiceThe United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass 193 million acres...
created to educate the public on the dangers of forest fires. Smokey Bear's message, "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires," was created in 1944 by the
Ad CouncilThe Advertising Council, commonly known as the Ad Council, is an American non-profit organization that distributes public service announcements on behalf of various sponsors, including non-profit organizations and agencies of the United States government.The Advertising Council generally does not...
. In April 2001, Smokey's message was updated to "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires." According to the Ad Council, Smokey Bear and his message are recognized by 95% of adults and 77% of children in the U.S.
Smokey's correct full name is Smokey Bear. In 1952, the songwriters
Steve NelsonSteve Nelson may refer to:* Steve Nelson , New England Patriots football player* Steve Nelson , American musician* Steve Nelson , Communist Party member, Spanish Civil War veteran and U.S...
and Jack Rollins had a hit with "Smokey the Bear". The pair said that "the" was added to Smokey's name to keep the song's rhythm. This small change has caused confusion among Smokey fans ever since. Note that, from the beginning, Smokey's name was intentionally spelled differently from the adjective
smoky. The Forest Service emphatically denies that the name was ever "Smokey the Bear"; however, in the 1950s, that variant of the name became very widespread both in the popular imagination and in print, including at least one standard encyclopedia. The campaign to remind the public of the correct version of the name is almost as old as the Smokey Bear campaign itself.
The fictional character Smokey Bear is administered by three entities: the
United States Forest ServiceThe United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass 193 million acres...
, the
National Association of State ForestersThe National Association of State Foresters is a non-profit organization that represents the directors of all 50 State Forestry agencies, the eight United States territories, and the District of Columbia...
, and the
Ad CouncilThe Advertising Council, commonly known as the Ad Council, is an American non-profit organization that distributes public service announcements on behalf of various sponsors, including non-profit organizations and agencies of the United States government.The Advertising Council generally does not...
. Smokey Bear's name and image are protected by U.S.
federalThe federal government of the United States is the central government entity established by the United States Constitution, which shares sovereignty over the United States with the governments of the individual U.S. states. The federal government has three branches: the legislative, executive, and...
law, the
Smokey Bear Act of 1952 (16 U.S.C. 580 (p-2); 18 U.S.C. 711).
Beginning the campaign
Though the US Forest Service fought wildfires long before
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the war brought a new importance and urgency to the effort. The forest service began using colorful posters as a way to educate Americans about the dangers of forest fires. Since most able-bodied men were already serving in the armed forces, none could be spared to fight fires on the
West CoastThe "West Coast", "Western Seaboard", or "Pacific Coastline" are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. It most often comprises California, Oregon and Washington...
. The hope was that local communities, educated about the danger of forest fires, could prevent them from starting in the first place. The
JapaneseThe Empire of Japan was a Japanese political entity that existed during the period from the...
, on the other hand, saw wildfires as a possible weapon. Forest fires could drain US manpower, destroy valuable natural resources, and cause general havoc. In the Lookout Air Raids of 1942, the Japanese attempted to set southwest
Oregon'sOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
coastal forests ablaze. In separate attempts on 9 and 29 September, the
Japanese submarine I-25I-25 was a B1-Type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy that served in World War II and took part in the Attack on Pearl Harbor, and carried out The Lookout Air Raid and the Bombardment of Fort Stevens....
surfaced and launched a
Yokosuka E14YThe Yokosuka E14Y, codenamed "Glen" by the Allies, was an Imperial Japanese Navy reconnaissance seaplane transported aboard and launched from Japanese submarine aircraft carriers such as the during World War II...
floatplaneA floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
loaded with incendiary bombs. Neither attempt was successful, thanks primarily to weather conditions, and the actions of two quick-acting
fire lookoutA fire lookout is a person assigned the duty to look for fire from atop a building known as a fire lookout tower. These towers are used in remote areas, normally on mountain tops with high elevation and a good view of the surrounding terrain, to spot smoke caused by a wildfire.Once a possible fire...
s. US planners also hoped that if Americans knew how wildfires would harm the war effort, they would be better able to cooperate with the Forest Service to eliminate fires, whether caused by Japan or otherwise. Interestingly, the Japanese renewed their wildfire strategy late in the war: from November 1944 to April 1945, some 9,000 fire balloons were launched into the
jet streamJet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmosphere of planets at the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on earth are westerly winds...
, with an estimated 10% making it to the US. Nonetheless, fire balloons only killed six Americans — at a church picnic, when a 13 year old girl tried to pull the balloon down from a tree.
On August 13, 1942, Disney's 5th full-length animated motion picture
BambiBambi is a American animated feature produced by Walt Disney and based on the book Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Austrian author Felix Salten...
premiered in New York City. Soon after,
Walt DisneyWalter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon and philanthropist. Disney is famous for his influence in the field of entertainment during the twentieth century. As the co-founder Walter Elias...
allowed his characters to appear in fire prevention public service campaigns. However,
Bambi was only loaned to the government for a year, so a new symbol was needed.
Sticking with the popular animal theme, a bear was chosen. His name was inspired by "Smoky" Joe Martin, a
New York City Fire DepartmentThe New York City Fire Department or the Fire Department City of New York has the responsibility for protecting the citizens and property of New York City's five boroughs from fires and fire hazards, providing emergency medical services, technical rescue as well as providing first response to...
hero who shrugged off burns and blindness in a bold 1922 rescue.
Smokey's debut poster was released on August 9, 1944, which is considered his birthday. Overseen by the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention Campaign, the first poster was illustrated by Albert Staehle. In it Smokey was depicted wearing
jeansJeans are pants, or trousers, made from denim. Mainly designed for work, they became popular among teenagers starting in the 1950s. Historic brands include Levi's and Wrangler....
and a
campaign hatA campaign hat is a broad-brimmed felt hat with a high crown pinched at the four corners. It is associated with World War I ground forces of the United States Army, contemporary U.S...
, pouring a bucket of water on a campfire. The message underneath reads, "Smokey says – Care
will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires!" Also in 1944, Forest Service worker
Rudy WendelinRudy Wendelin was a United States Forest Service employee and the best-known artist behind Smokey Bear. Beginning in 1944, Wendelin became the full-time artist for the Smokey Bear campaign. He was considered Smokey Bear's "caretaker" until his retirement in 1973.- References :* in the Forest...
became the full time campaign artist; he was considered Smokey Bear's "caretaker" until he retired in 1973.
In 1947, the iconic motto now associated with Smokey Bear was finally coined: "Remember...only YOU can prevent forest fires."
The living symbol of Smokey
The living symbol of Smokey Bear was an American
black bearThe American Black Bear also known as the North American black bear is the most common bear species native to North America. It lives throughout much of the continent, from northern Alaska south into Mexico and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. This includes 41 of the 50 U.S...
who in the spring of 1950 was caught in the
Capitan Gap fireThe Capitan Gap Fire was a human-caused forest fire that broke out in Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico in the Capitan mountain range in 1950. The fire devastated 17,000 acres ....
, a
wildfireA wildfire is any uncontrolled fire that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Reflecting the type of vegetation or fuel, other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, vegetation fire, and wildland fire may be used to describe the same phenomenon...
that burned in the
Capitan MountainsThe Capitan Mountains are a mountain range in Lincoln County, in south-central New Mexico in the southwestern United States. The range is about 20 miles long from east to west and about 6 miles wide, formed from a large, elongated granite intrusion similar to the round one that produced Carrizo...
of
New MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Inhabited by Native American populations for many centuries, it has also been part of the Imperial Spanish viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S. territory. Among U.S...
. The cub was in the
Lincoln National ForestThe Lincoln National Forest is a protected national forest in the State of New Mexico in the southwestern United States. It was established in 1902 and covers 1,103,828 acres...
. Smokey had climbed a tree to escape the blaze, but his paws and hind legs had been burned. He was rescued by a
game wardenA game warden is an employee who has the role of protecting wildlife. Game wardens may also be referred to as conservation officers or wildlife officers. They have much the same role as gamekeepers in the United Kingdom.-Africa:...
after the fire.
At first he was called "Hotfoot Teddy," but he was later renamed Smokey, after the mascot. A local rancher who had been helping fight the fire took the cub home with him, but he needed veterinary aid. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Ranger Ray Bell took him to
Santa FeSanta Fe is the capital of the state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 62,203 at the April 1, 2000 census; the estimate for July 1, 2006, is 72,056...
. His wife, Ruth, and their children, Don and Judy, cared for the cub. The story was picked up by the national news services and Smokey became an instant celebrity. He and the Bells were featured in
LifeLife generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
, cementing his star status. Soon after, Smokey was flown in a Piper Cub to the National Zoo in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
, where he lived for 26 years. Upon his death on November 9, 1976, Smokey's remains were returned by the government to
Capitan, New MexicoCapitan is a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, located north of the Lincoln National Forest between the Capitan and Sacramento Mountains at an elevation of 6,530 feet . The population was 1,443 at the 2000 census. Capitan was founded in the 1890s and incorporated in 1941.Capitan...
, and buried at what is now the Smokey Bear Historical Park.
Smokey the icon
Following the discovery of the living symbol of Smokey Bear, the character became a big part of American popular culture in the 1950s. He was on radio shows in the 1950s with the
Sons of the PioneersThe Sons of the Pioneers is an American cowboy singing group founded in 1933 by Leonard Slye , with Tim Spencer and Bob Nolan...
and appeared in comic strips and cartoons.
On the back of the song sheet was printed the
Conservation Pledge:
I give my pledge as an American to save and faithfully to defend from waste the natural resources of my country – its soil and minerals, its forests, waters and wildlife.
In 1952, after Smokey Bear attracted considerable commercial interest, the
Smokey Bear Act, an
act of CongressAn act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States and the Philippines....
, was passed to take Smokey out of the
public domainThe public domain is a range of abstract materials—commonly referred to as intellectual property—which are not owned or controlled by anyone. The term indicates that these materials are therefore "public property", and available for anyone to use for any purpose...
and place him under the control of the Secretary of Agriculture. The act provided for the use of Smokey's royalties for continued education on forest fire prevention.
A Smokey Bear doll was released by Ideal Toys in 1952, which included a mail-in card for children to become
Junior forest rangersThe Junior Forest Rangers is a program of the USDA Forest Service that allows children to, after completing a booklet of activities related to outdoor skills, conservation, and forest fire prevention, receive a Junior Forest Rangers badge and identification card.The Junior Forest Rangers program...
. Within three years half a million kids had applied. In April 1964, Smokey was given his own
ZIP codeThe ZIP code is the system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service . The letters ZIP, a backronym for Zone Improvement Plan, are properly written in capital letters and were chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
, 20252.
In 1955, the first children’s book was published, followed by many sequels and coloring books. Soon thousands of dolls, toys, and other collectibles were on the market.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the
Ad CouncilThe Advertising Council, commonly known as the Ad Council, is an American non-profit organization that distributes public service announcements on behalf of various sponsors, including non-profit organizations and agencies of the United States government.The Advertising Council generally does not...
sponsored radio ads, featuring Smokey Bear "in conversation" with prominent American celebrity stars such as
Bing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American popular singer and actor whose career stretched over more than half a century from 1926 until his death....
,
Art LinkletterArthur Gordon "Art" Linkletter is a Canadian-American radio and television personality and the former host of two of the longest-running shows in United States broadcast history: House Party, which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are Funny, on NBC radio-TV for 19 years...
,
Dinah ShoreDinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality. She was most popular during the Big Band era of the 1940s and 1950s....
,
Roy RogersRoy Rogers , was a singer and cowboy actor, as well as the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants chain. He and his second wife Dale Evans, his golden palomino Trigger, and his German Shepherd Dog, Bullet, were featured in over one hundred movies and The Roy Rogers Show...
, and many others.
Smokey lends his name and image to the
Smokey Bear Awards, which are awarded by the United States Forest Service:
"To recognize outstanding service in the prevention of wildland fires and to increase public recognition and awareness of the need for continuing fire prevention efforts."
Legacy
For Smokey’s 50th anniversary in 1994, he was honored with a U.S.
postage stampA postage stamp is adhesive paper evidence of a fee paid for postal services. Usually a small rectangle attached to an envelope, the stamp signifies the person sending it has fully or partly paid for delivery...
that pictured a cub hanging onto a burned tree. It was illustrated by
Rudy WendelinRudy Wendelin was a United States Forest Service employee and the best-known artist behind Smokey Bear. Beginning in 1944, Wendelin became the full-time artist for the Smokey Bear campaign. He was considered Smokey Bear's "caretaker" until his retirement in 1973.- References :* in the Forest...
. The
commercial for his 50th birthday portrayed woodland animals about to throw Smokey a surprise party with a cake with candles. When Smokey comes blindfolded, he smells smoke, not realizing it is birthday candles for his birthday. He uses his shovel to destroy the cake. When he takes off his blindfold, he sees that it was a birthday cake for him and apologizes.
In 2004, Smokey celebrated his 60th anniversary. According to Richard Earle, author of
The Art of Cause Marketing, the Smokey Bear campaign is recognized as among the most powerful and enduring of all public service advertising. "Smokey is simple, strong, straightforward," Earle writes. "He's a denizen of those woods you're visiting, and he cares about preserving them. Anyone who grew up watching
BambiBambi is a American animated feature produced by Walt Disney and based on the book Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Austrian author Felix Salten...
realizes how terrifying a forest fire can be. But Smokey wouldn't run away. Smokey's strong. He'll stay and fight the fire if necessary, but he'd rather have you douse it and cover it up so he doesn't have to."
Voices of Smokey Bear
Washington D.C. radio station WMAL personality Jackson Weaver served as the primary voice of Smokey until Weaver's death in October 1992. Others who provided a voice to Smokey prior to 1992 included
Jim CummingsJames Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor.Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Cummings relocated to New Orleans, where he worked on the assembly of Mardi Gras floats. He later moved to Anaheim, California, where he worked "odd jobs" until the early 1980s...
and Los Angeles Radio station KNX's George Walsh. The "voice" of Smokey was retired after Weaver's death until 2008. In June 2008, the Forest Service launched a new series of
public service announcementA public service announcement or community service announcement is a non-commercial advertisement broadcast on radio or television, for the public interest. PSAs are intended to modify public attitudes by raising awareness about specific issues. The most common topics of PSAs are health and safety...
s voiced by actor
Sam ElliottSamuel Pack "Sam" Elliott is an American actor. In films, he is often characterized by his rangy physique, thick horseshoe moustache and distinctively gruff speaking voice.-Early life:...
, simultaneously giving Smokey a new look designed to appeal to young adults.
Adaptations
In 1939, students from
Hill City, South Dakota,Hill City is the oldest existing city in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 780 at the 2000 census. Hill City is located southwest of Rapid City on State Highway 16 and on U.S. Route 385 that connects Deadwood to Hot Springs...
helped stop a devastating
wildfireA wildfire is any uncontrolled fire that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Reflecting the type of vegetation or fuel, other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, vegetation fire, and wildland fire may be used to describe the same phenomenon...
that threatened their community. Afterwards the school district was allowed by the government to use Smokey Bear as its mascot. It is believed to be the only school in the country to be able to do so.
Smokey Bear — and parodies of the character — have been appearing in
animationAnimation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. It is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in a number of ways...
for more than fifty years. In 1956, he made a cameo appearance in the
Walt DisneyWalter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon and philanthropist. Disney is famous for his influence in the field of entertainment during the twentieth century. As the co-founder Walter Elias...
short
In the BagIn the Bag is Walt Disney's final theatrical cartoon short subject. It was released in 1956 by RKO Radio Pictures and directed by Jack Hannah.The film features park ranger J. Audubon Woodlore and his comedic foil Humphrey the Bear.-Plot:...
with a voice provided by Jackson Weaver.
In 1966,
Rankin/BassRankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American stop-motion production company, known for its seasonal television specials. With few exceptions, their library is currently owned by Classic Media and Warner Bros...
produced an animated TV special for
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
, called
The Ballad of Smokey the Bear, narrated by
James CagneyJames Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American film actor. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of roles, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time.For his first performing...
. During the 1969-1970 television season, Rankin/Bass also produced a weekly
Saturday MorningA Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming which was typically scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the 1990s. In the United States, the generally accepted times considered to be Saturday mornings...
series,
The Smokey the Bear Show, also for ABC.
Steve NelsonSteve Nelson may refer to:* Steve Nelson , New England Patriots football player* Steve Nelson , American musician* Steve Nelson , Communist Party member, Spanish Civil War veteran and U.S...
and Jack Rollins's hit song "Smokey the Bear" has been covered by
Canned HeatCanned Heat is a blues-rock/boogie band that formed in Los Angeles, California, USA, in 1965. The group has been noted for its own interpretations of blues material as well as for efforts to promote the interest in this type of music and its original artists...
, among others. The track is on their CD
The Boogie House Tapes 1969-1999.
"
Smokey the Bear SutraThe Smokey the Bear Sutra is a 1969 poem by Gary Snyder which presents environmental concerns in the form of a Buddhist sutra, and depicts Smokey as the reincarnation of Vairocana Buddha. Snyder composed the poem in one night for a February 1969 Sierra Club Wilderness Conference, at which he...
" is a 1969 poem by
Gary SnyderGary Snyder is an American poet , as well as an essayist, lecturer, and environmental activist . Snyder is a winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry...
, which presents environmental concerns in the form of a Buddhist
sutraSūtra , literally means a thread or line that holds things together, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism , or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual...
, and depicts Smokey as the
reincarnationReincarnation, literally "to be made flesh again", is a doctrine or metaphysical belief that some essential part of a living being survives death to be reborn in a new body. This essential part is often referred to as the spirit or soul, the "higher" or "true" self, "divine spark", or "I"...
of the
Great Sun BuddhaVairocana Vairocana Vairocana (also Vairochana or Mahāvairocana; Sanskrit: वैरोचन, Bengali: বৈরোচন, Indonesian: Dhyani Buddha Wairocana, Chinese: 大日如來 Dàrì Rúlái or 毘盧遮那佛 Pílúzhēnàfó , Korean: 비로자나불 Birojanabul or 대일여래 Daeil Yeorae, Japanese: Dainichi Nyorai, 大日如来; Tibetan: རྣམ་པར་སྣང་མཛད།...
.
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Smokey_the_Bear_Sutra
External links