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America's oldest National Park Service ranger retires at 100
Not only was she a ranger, but Soskin is also a writer and civil rights activist
April 7, 2022 5:59pm
Updated: April 9, 2022 1:45pm
Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest active National Park Service (NPS) ranger, retired last week at the age of 100. The park plans to celebrate her retirement on April 16.
On Thursday, Soskin spent her last day working at the Rose the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California.
Not only was she a ranger, but Soskin is also a writer and civil rights activist. During her time with the NPS, Soskin promoted the stories of African American people, and women of color who contributed to their country during World War II, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
Soskin’s passion for the subject stemmed from her work experience in the U.S. Air Force in 1942. However, she quit after finding out that she had been hired because they thought she was white.
“Betty has made a profound impact on the National Park Service and the way we carry out our mission,” says NPS Director Chuck Sams in a statement. “Her efforts remind us that we must seek out and give space for all perspectives so that we can tell a more full and inclusive history of our nation.”
She had worked with the Richmond historical park since it was opened in 2000. In 2011, she became a permanent NPS employee and led public programs and observations at the park’s visitor’s center. At times, she was the only person of color.
Soskin grew up in a Cajun-Creole, African American family that moved to California after the “Great Flood” of New Orleans in 1927.
“I feel such pride in the uniform,” Soskin told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2018. “[When I’m] in a public place, I’m announcing silently to every child of color a career path that they might not ever be aware of, because they’ve never seen a person of color like me in a National Park uniform. And the possibilities that I am making that announcement silently is so empowering, both for me and those children.”
Soskin has received a long list of achievements throughout her life. In 1995, she was named “Woman of the Year” by California. She met with President Barack Obama at the White House in 2015. In 2018, she received the “Woman of the Year” title by Glamour magazine and released a memoir. In 2021, a California middle school was renamed after her.
“The National Park Service is grateful to Ranger Betty for sharing her thoughts and first-person accounts in ways that span across generations,” said Naomi Torres, acting superintendent of Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park. “She has used stories of her life on the Home Front, drawing meaning from those experiences in ways that make that history truly impactful for those of us living today.”
