Issued by
United States Forest Service, founded 1905
Manufactured by
Mine Safety Appliances Company, American, founded 1914
Worn by
Mobley, Melody Starya, American, born 1958
Subject of
Cleveland National Forest, American, founded 1908
Date
ca. 1982
Medium
satin ribbon on aluminum shell with plastic and nylon interior
Dimensions
H x W x D: 6 3/8 × 8 5/8 × 11 5/16 in. (16.2 × 21.9 × 28.8 cm)
Caption
Melody Starya Mobley was the first African American female forester of the USDA Forest Service (USFS), serving from June 1977 until her retirement in March 2005. She also was the first African American woman to graduate (in 1979) from the University of Washington College of Forest Resources (later renamed the School of Forest Resources in the College of the Environment). During her 28 years with the USFS she served in national forests all over the country. Most notably for this collection, she served in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington state from 1980-1982, Cleveland National Forest in Southern California from 1982-1986, held a temporary assignment in Klamath National Forest in Northern California, and finally served in Ocala National Forest in central Florida from 1986-1987. From 1988 until her retirement in 2005 she served in the USFS headquarters in Washington, D.C. In the mid-1990s, Mobley was given a temporary detail to the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada where she served as Deputy Forest Supervisor.
Description
United States Forest Service issued aluminum hard hat worn by Melody Starya Mobley. The MSA McDonald T (model number 994378) adjustable hat for sizes 6 ½-7 ¾ is primarily constructed from molded aluminum. The interior has a dark gray plastic suspension frame with nylon strapping and a padded band at the forehead. At the top center of the padded band are the molded letters [MSA]. Threaded through external clips around the crown is a red satin ribbon tied into a bow at the front. Stamped along the top of the visor is block text that reads [US GOVERNMENT]. Stamped underneath the visor is block text that reads [McDONALD / T / CAP-STANDARD / MINE SAFETY APPLIANCES CO.]. Inside the hat is a white paper adhesive label with model number, patent information, compliance and manufacturer’s information, and a white paper adhesive warning label with care and cleaning instructions.
Place used
Cleveland National Forest, San Diego County, California, United States, North and Central America
Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County, California, United States, North and Central America
Ocala National Forest, Florida, United States, North and Central America
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Nevada, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Clothing-Historical
Tools and Equipment-Occupational
Type
hard hats
uniforms
Topic
Agriculture
American West
Clothing and dress
Government
Labor
Nature
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Melody Starya Mobley
Object number
2019.80.1
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5c6e0854c-973d-4bdd-8dbc-22e842a7608a

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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