{{Short description|American conservationist}} {{Infobox person | name = Elizabeth Titus Putnam | birth_name = Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam | birth_date = April 3,1933 | birth_place = Sands Point, New York<ref>{{cite web |title=Vermonter remembers roots of youth conservation |url=https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/life/green-mountain/2016/03/13/vermonter-remembers-roots-youth-conservation/81271560/ |website=Burlington Free Press |language=en}}</ref> | other_names = Liz Putnam | occupation = Conservationist | years_active = 1957-1990 | known_for = founding the Student Conservation Association | notable_works = }}
'''Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam''' is an American conservationist and founder of the Student Conservation Association.<ref name=":0" />
==Early life and education== Putnam graduated from Miss Porter's School in 1952 and from Vassar in 1955.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://info.vassar.edu/news/2009-2010/100804-liz-putnam-white-house-award.html|title=Archive from Wednesday, August 4, 2010 - Vassar alumna Elizabeth Putnam '55 receives the 2010 Presidential Citizens Medal at White House ceremony. - News - Info - Vassar College|website=Info.vassar.edu|access-date=7 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.porters.org/ftpimages/301/misc/misc_67719.pdf|title=Miss Porter's School Annual Report July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010|website=Porters.org|access-date=7 September 2018|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200101/http://www.porters.org/ftpimages/301/misc/misc_67719.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Founding SCA=== As a student at Vassar College in the 1950s, Putnam admired the natural heritage of America's national parks, but worried limited federal financial resources would prevent proper maintenance of the pristine parklands.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/55079276/Untitled|title=Untitled|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108161529/http://www.scribd.com/doc/55079276/Untitled|archive-date=2012-11-08|url-status=dead|access-date=2017-09-09}}</ref>
In 1955, Putnam wrote her senior thesis at Vassar College, "A Proposed Student Conservation Corps". The idea, modeled after the federal Civilian Conservation Corps program (1933–42), was to take the burden of labor-intensive jobs such as entrance fee collecting or trail work from the National Park Service and shift to the proposed SCC.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/winr/titusintvw.htm|title=titusintvw.htm|last1=Roberts|first1=Nina|website=www.webpages.uidaho.edu}}</ref>
== Career == After founding the Student Conservation Association in 1957, Putnam served as its President until her retirement in 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesca.org/newsroom/sca-founder-elizabeth-cushman-titus-putnam-receive-2010-presidential-citizens-medal-first-c|title=Newsroom|website=Thesca.org|access-date=7 September 2018|archive-date=8 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180908130848/https://www.thesca.org/newsroom/sca-founder-elizabeth-cushman-titus-putnam-receive-2010-presidential-citizens-medal-first-c|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://issuu.com/sunyesf/docs/2006-1|title=Inside ESF 2006-1|website=Issuu.com|date=21 July 2010 |access-date=7 September 2018}}</ref>
She currently resides in Shaftsbury, Vermont.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/President-Gives-2-Chicago-Women-Highest-Honors-99929884.html|title=Obama Gives 2 Chicago Women Citizen's Medals|website=Nbcchicago.com|date=4 August 2010 |access-date=7 September 2018}}</ref>
==Awards and honors== *In 2018, Vassar and the Hudson Valley chapter of the Student Conservation Association (SCA) planted a tree in her honor at the 415 acre Vassar Ecological Preserve.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stories.vassar.edu/2018/180914-liz-putnam.html|title=Conservation legend gets her own tree - Liz Putnam '55 joins SCA, Vassar volunteers in Day of Service|last1=HERTZ|first1=Larry|website=Vassar College}}</ref> *2016 - The Wilderness Society's Robert Marshall Award<ref name=":2" /> *2015 - New York State Outdoor Education Association Leadership Award<ref name=":2" /> *2014 - Doctor of Humane Letters, College of Wooster<ref name=":2" /> *2012 - The Corps Network Lifetime Achievement<ref name=":2" /> *In 2011, the Vermont legislature passed act R-107 to honor Putnam.<ref name=":1" /> *In 2010, Putnam won the second highest civilian award, the Presidential Citizens Medal, from President Barack Obama, making her the first conservationist to win the honor.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/photos-and-video/video/2010/08/06/citizens-medal-winner-elizabeth-cushman-titus-putnam?v=accessibility| title = Citizens Medal Winner: Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam {{!}} The White House}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Home - This is Vassar: The newsletter for Vassar College Alumnae/i and Families|url=https://www.vassar.edu/alumsdigest/issues/2010/09/putnam.html|access-date=2022-01-15|website=www.vassar.edu}}</ref> * 1982 - President Reagan - President's Volunteer Action Award<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thesca.org/about/sca-founder-liz-putnam|title=SCA Founder, Liz Putnam|date=2013-10-09|website=The Student Conservation Association|language=en|access-date=2019-02-28}}</ref> * 1982 - Student Conservation Association - 25th Anniversary Award<ref name=":2" /> * 1980 - Garden Club of America - Conservation Achievement Award<ref name=":2" /> * 1974 - U.S. Department of the Interior - Distinguished Service Award<ref name=":2" /> * 1971 - Arizona Federated Garden Clubs - Distinguished Service Award<ref name=":2" /> * 1966 - Garden Club of America - Margaret Douglas Award<ref name=":2" />
== Gallery of the Student Conservation Association at work - an organization founded by Putnam in 1957 == <gallery widths="170px" heights="170px" perrow="5"> File:SCA Community Crew 2014 (14918987765).jpg| File:SCA VIP 11 (9727213222).jpg File:2010 SCA 3 (9257715631).jpg File:Student Conservation Association-Girl Scout Trail Crew (28476131255).jpg| File:2013 SCA 35 (9668381317).jpg File:Meet Pya! (9034533860).jpg File:2015 SCA Crew 18 (21157690181).jpg File:Student Conservation Association volunteers working on the Prince of Wales mapping project 2.jpg| File:Personnel, 1981- naturalist division, Student Conservation Association (SCA), Zion Natural History Association (ZNHA). ; ZION (0274280e82644af2a4f43ecf0223f1dc).jpg File:Student Conservation Association-Girl Scout Trail Crew (27860299923).jpg File:Student Conservation Association-Girl Scout Trail Crew (27859575454).jpg File:Student Conservation Association volunteers working on the Prince of Wales mapping project.jpg File:Student Conservation Association intern Kevin Tran spoke about his experiences as an intern on the refuge (25550367394).jpg File:Student Conservation Association (SCA) volunteer Mike Prescott at Visitor Center information desk. ; ZION Museum and Archives (110f9f87bdf4441f96c481d05482b7c5).jpg File:Whale necropsy - Tongass National Forest 03.jpg File:Project leader (16893655980).jpg File:SCA crew at Paradise (16643027146).jpg File:SCA Community Crew 2014 (14896295476).jpg File:SCA crew at Paradise (16668056432).jpg File:2010 SCA Group 1 (9257593717).jpg File:Secretary Jewell and Director Ashe (15127381986).jpg File:DOI Secretaryt Jewell and students from the SCA (15127382886).jpg File:SCA VIP 7 (9727238516).jpg File:2013 SCA 14 (9671778276).jpg File:2013 SCA 30 (9671654374).jpg File:2013 SCA 46 (9668260765).jpg File:2013 SCA 1 (9257764215).jpg File:SCA crew working at Mount Rainier (16481723970).jpg File:Student Conservation Association (SCA) volunteer, Carol Ann Lau leading Angels Landing hike. ; ZION Museum and Archives Image (e3211ce63ace418fb52c90619d3fae58).jpg File:Swartout (9671513224).jpg </gallery>
==References== {{Reflist}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Putnam, Elizabeth Cushman Titus}} Category:Living people Category:People from Shaftsbury, Vermont Category:American conservationists Category:Vassar College alumni Category:Miss Porter's School alumni Category:Presidential Citizens Medal recipients Category:People from North Hempstead, New York Category:American women environmentalists Category:1933 births