Genevieve Gillette

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In honor of Women's History Month, the Archives is highlighting conservationist Genevieve Gillette. Gillette was instrumental in creating Michigan's State Park system.

Born in 1898, Gillette grew up with an appreciation for nature. Upon graduating high school, she enrolled at Michigan Agricultural College. In 1920, Gillette became the first woman to earn a degree in Landscape Architecture.

Gillette's initial job was in Chicago for Jens Jensen, a famous Midwestern landscape architect. She relocated to Detroit in the mid 1920s and worked for Detroit Parks and Recreation as a designer and landscaper. In 1929, she directed a program to teach welfare recipients how to grow their own gardens. During this time, she befriended P.J. Hoffmaster, Superintendent of State Parks and later director of the Department of Conservation.

In the 1930s, Gillette moved to Ann Arbor and established a private practice. She routinely collaborated on projects with her friend, P.J. Hoffmaster. Additionally, she remained active in various conservation organizations. Upon the death of Hoffmaster in 1950, Gillette began a successful career as a lobbyist. One particular achievement occurred in 1968, when the Michigan Legislature allocated $100 million to fund state parks because of her efforts.

In Gillette's lifetime, the number of Michigan state parks increased from one to ninety-six. The Hoffmaster State Park (one of the parks she was instrumental in creating) includes a nature center named for her. She died in 1986, at the age of eighty-eight.

-Nicole Garrett, Project Archivist

The Archives of Michigan houses the Papers of Genevieve Gillette. For more information, click Genevieve Gillette Papers to view the online catalog record.

The Archives also has transcriptions of taped memoirs by Gillette. Click Gillette Taped Memoirs for more information.

For a guide to women's history sources in the Archives of Michigan, click Archives of Michigan Circular #35: Records Relating to Women.

Michigan History magazine offers special women's history issues of Michigan History and Michigan History for Kids. Click Michigan History Magazine - Women's History for more details.

Previous Images of the Month pages about Michigan women can be found in the Image of the Month Archives. Click Image of the Month Archives to access all former Image of the Month pages.

Click Archives of Michigan to visit the Archives of Michigan home page.

Archives of Michigan
Michigan Library and Historical Center
702 W. Kalamazoo Street
Lansing, MI 48913
Phone: (517) 373-1408
E-mail: archives@michigan.gov

This page is the Archives Image of the Month page for March 2008.