The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1957-11-01
HANKS DEPARTS FOR
WASHINGTON posi-
GIBBS is SUCCESSOR
Park Service Supt. in Dare County
Goes to Washington This
Week

week
Allyn F. Hanks, for the past
three and half years superinten-
dent Of the Cape Hatteras Nation
al Seashore Recreation area in
Dare and Hyde counties, relinquish-
ed the post this week to Robert
F. Gibbs, and went to Washing
ton, D.: c., to Park Service head
quarters and to a new position.
Mr.. Hanks was one of the most
popular employees to come to
Dare County with the Park Serv-
ice, and he made many friends.
Before leaving, Mr.. Hanks pre-
scented his successor, Robert F.
Gibbs, to the Manteo Rotary Club,
where Mr.. Hanks had been an ac-
tive and valued member. Mr.. Gibbs
is now on the job at Bodie Island,
the project headquarters.
Allyn F. Hanks has been named
to the newly-established position
of Chef, Branch of Visitor Pro-
lection, in the Division of Ranger
Activities, Washington I'd. c. of
flee. he was superintendent Of
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Reueational Area and Fort Ra-
leigh National Historic Site. His
successor, Robert F. Gibbs, was
assistant superintendent of Great
Smoky Mountains National Park,
North Carolina Tennessee.
In his new post, Hanks will serve
as one of two principal assistants
to John M. Davis, Chief of the
Ranger Activities Division. He will
be concerned with the protection of
park visitors, their safe and en-
joyable use of park facilities, and
the protection of the scenic, scien-
tifc, and historic values throughout
the National Park System. Law
renee F. Cook, for some years the
Services chief forester, is the 9TH
er principal assistant. He has head
ed the Branch of Park Forest and
Wildlife Protection since the Di-
vision was established this year as
successor to the former Conser-
walton and Protection Branch.
Mr.. Hanks Joined the Service IN
1928 as park ranger in Yellow
stone National Park. He served as
chief park ranger at Grand Teton
National Park, Wyoming, as super
iptendent of Theodore Roosevelt
National Memorial Park, North Da-
kota, and assistant superintendent
of Everglades National Park, Flor
ida. He has been superintendent.
of Cape Hatteras and Fort Ra-
leigh since March, 1854. A native
of Logan, Utah, Hanks studied
forestry and administrative man.
agenent at Colorado State Agri-
cultural College, the University of
Montana and the University of
Michigan. During 1942-45, he serv-
ed with the U. S. Coast Guard on
leave from the Park Service.
Mr.. Gibbs takes over the super
intendency of Cape Hatteras Ma
tional Seashore Recreation Area on
North Cardinals "outer banks" and
of Fort Raleigh National Historic
Site on nearby Roanoke Island at
a strategic time when the Services
1O-year MISSION &c program is
getting underway there. Though
some construction has been accom-
plished-including a modern day.
use beach facility on Bodie Island,
part of the Cape Hatteras area,
and certain roads and parking
areas-the planned development
program is in a pioneering stage.
Up TO now, Superintendent Hanks
has been largely concerned with
necessary planning and research
preparatory to the projected devel-
opnaent of the unique seashore area
to meet the contemplated vista
ton influx by 1866.
A native of Madison, Virginia,
Gibbs is a graduate of Virginia
Polytechnic Institute. He joined
the National Park Service in 1884
in supervisory capacity in Shen-
andoah National Park, Virginia, in
connection with Civilian Conserva-
ton Corps work. Later he served
at Shenandoah as a park ranger.
After Army service, 1940-45-he
was awarded the Bronze Star Med
al for meritorius service by the
United States Army and the,
CroiK de Guerre by the French
Army-he became chief park ram
ger at Shenandoah; then, assistant
superintendent at Big Bend Ma
tionai Park, Texas, and superin-
tendent of Isle Royal National
Park, Michigan. He has been assis-
tant superintendent of Great
Smoky Mountains National Park
since August 1856.