User:Quercusechinus/Elliott Barker

Elliott Barker (December 25, 1886 - April 3, 1988 ) was an American writer and conservationist. He helped to bring notability to Smokey Bear as a mascot for forest fire awareness.

Biography
Elliot Speer Barker was born in Moran, Texas on December 25th 1886. He was one of 11 children born to Squire and Priscilla Barker. His family came by wagon to New Mexico and settled near Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1889. In 1911, Barker married Ethel M. Arnold and together they had three children. Barker died in Santa Fe, NM on April 3, 1988 at age 101.

Career
Barker served as the director of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish from 1931 to 1953.

Selected works

 * Smokey Bear and the Great Wilderness
 * Beatty's Cabin
 * When the Dogs Barked ‘Treed’