Warren Lee Rogers papers

The daunting task of coordinating the interests of three states, their respective government agencies, and an alliance of some thirty conservation and recreational associations, all with their own agendas and perspectives, was pivotal to Clinton Clarke's quest for a Pacific Crest Trail, and makes his correspondence one of the highlights of the Warren Lee Rogers Papers. Clarke's essays show he not only wanted to preserve the wonderlands of the Pacific slope, but all wilderness areas he saw threatened by a "Coney Island" mentality destroying the natural beauty of the west. He denounced the effects of mechanization on society and its youth, whom he thought would be better off strengthening their bodies and minds in the great outdoors than sitting on soft chairs in front of radios.

The Pacific Crest Trail experience is featured in many portions of the collection, beginning with Clarke's descriptions in his publications. The Y-Relays series contains correspondence, photographs, radio scripts, participants' surveys and transcribed portions of the log book carried on the trek - all giving a variety of perspectives of the Trail experience. The PCT registers and hikers' correspondence can be found in the Rogers' Businesses series. Approximately 27 percent of the collection, of course, is the many maps, ranging from those used in the Y-Relays, to the large assortment Rogers used to update his pocket maps; the latter files also contain visitor guides and brochures from an amazing array of national forests and parks in Washington, Oregon, California and elsewhere.

The Rogers collection offers many insights into the world of outdoor recreation, education and camping from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. While some of his business ventures focused on the Pacific Crest Trail, his publications covered a broader range of recreational subjects. The files on camps and maps (filled with brochures and guides), for example, cover the United States from roughly 1930 through 1970. The Outdoor Recreation and Organizations series illuminates the workings of such groups as the American Camping Association, the Association for Outdoor Education, YMCA, and other groups affiliated with religions. The series also contains periodicals and documents on a range of related subjects.