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 Hank
Elliott, History ‘98
A
native of Rye, NY, Hank Elliott began his affiliation
with the National
Park Service while still a student at MWC. Working
as a volunteer with the restoration specialist of the
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park,
he learned preservation techniques for archeological
and cultural resources. He subsequently interned for
the Friends of the Fredericksburg Area Battlefields,
a local preservation group, in which capacity he worked
with the American
Battlefield Protection Program (an arm of the National
Park Service) to develop an acquisition, interpretation,
and long-range management plan for three local battlefields
currently lacking protection, and also drafted preliminary
National Register nominations for each site.
Based
on his academic preparation and his hands-on experience,
the National Park Service hired Hank as a seasonal employee
in 1999 and promoted him to full-time status the following
year. He is currently a member of the interpretive division
of a National Park that administers four major Civil
War battlefields comprising over7,000 acres and attracting
approximately 1.5 million visitors annually.
Hank’s
job varies significantly according to the season. During
the busy summer months when park visitation is at its
peak, his time is mainly devoted to developing and conducting
interpretive walking tours for each battlefield as well
as two historic structures. This often involves educational
programs for school classes and detailed all-day bus
tours for military groups. In addition, he frequently
assists visitors with research in the park’s library
and archives.
During
the quieter winter months, with far fewer park visitors,
Hank’s work focuses more on the researching of
pertinent battlefield questions. This aspect of his
work has taken him to such public and private repositories
as the National Archives, the Virginia State Library,
the Virginia Historical Society, and the College of
William and Mary to examine period manuscripts, diaries,
letters, maps, and battle reports.
One
of the best aspects of the job, according to Hank, is
that it enables him to continue to conduct research
and analysis in a discipline and an area that he has
long found fascinating. His most recent assignment,
for example, involved researching and drafting updated
troop movement maps for the Wilderness Battlefield,
as well as examining casualty lists in order to reevaluate
the park’s understanding of army losses in the
1864 campaign.
[This
is one in a series focusing periodically on the Department’s
graduates. Alumni are encouraged to keep the Department
apprised of recent activities by e-mailing the chair
at chudgins@umw.edu
or contacting any other member of the faculty.]
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