California State Park Rangers Association

2022 CSPRA Honorary California State Park Ranger Paul Rogers

Paul Rogers

CSPRA’s 2022 Honorary California State Park Ranger


Stetson Presentation by  Dave Carle

Honorary Ranger Chair Lynn Rhodes, Paul Rogers, President Carle

Paul Rogers Nomination, Background  and Biography

Paul Rogers nomination details submitted by Past President Dr. Denzil Verardo. Paul’s 2022 nomination was by unanimous Board vote.

Read Paul’s moving and insightful Acceptance Speech 

given at the CSPRA Rendezvous, Sep 14 in Truckee

The Stetson presented to Paul as part of the CSPRA 2022 Honorary Ranger Award has a special provenance. It is a rare Stetson original purchased in 1947 and worn by Ranger Floyd Lemley, Sr.  Read the complete note below that was inserted into the hatband.


CSPRA 2022 Honorary Ranger ~ Paul Rogers

Stetson Provenance


This State Park Ranger uniform Stetson hat was originally purchased  in 1947 by Ranger Floyd Lemley, Sr.  The hat is a Park Ranger legacy John B. Stetson Company original, no longer made or available. The leather hat band was left untouched and shows signs of the State Park uniform guideline change going from cordovan dyed leather to black color in 1980's. The hat was donated to CSPRA for the Honorary Ranger Award by his son, Floyd Lemley, Jr., who also had a State Park Ranger career.


Ranger Lemley wore this Stetson at his seven career State Park Ranger assignments as follows:

 

  • Mt. San Jacinto State Park, 1947-50, SPR I
  • Doheny State Beach, 1950-54, SPR I
  • Portola State Park, 1955-60, SPR II
  • Torrey Pines State Reserve, 1960-68 SPR II
  • San Diego Coast Beaches, 1968-73, SPR II
  • Frontera Historic Parks (San Diego), 1973-77, SPR III
  • Los Lagos District (Lake Perris), 1977-80, SPR IV

Due to cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 in-person Rendezvous Meetings, we had three CSPRA Honorary Ranger Award recipients at the 2022 event. Pictured above (L-R) are CSPRA President Dave Carle, Paul Slavik (2021), David Allen (2020), Paul Rogers (2022) and Honorary Ranger Selection Committee Chair Lynn Rhodes