Manufactured by
Unidentified
Worn by
Mobley, Melody Starya, American, born 1958
Subject of
United States Forest Service, founded 1905
Date
ca. 1977
Medium
neoprene, cloth and metal
Dimensions
H x W (Flat): 8 5/16 × 19 11/16 in. (21.1 × 50 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
A raincoat worn by Melody Starya Mobley while serving as a forester in the United States Forest Service. The medium sized, neoprene raincoat is solid yellow with four (4) snap buttons down the front and additional snap button posts around the collar to attach a hood. There are green paint splotches on left arm and back shoulder. The interior of the coat is tan. Black, ribbed fabric lines inside of the collar. A green stamp inside and just below the collar reads [0 3 [?] M / NEOPRENE]. Both sleeve cuffs and the bottom seam have blank ink stamps that read [09550236].
Place used
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington, United States, North and Central America
Cleveland National Forest, 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 - Fashion and Historical
Type
raincoats
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
2019.80.9
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5ed5e01d6-5b53-42f9-99c1-12986a997722

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

Share this page