Creating acade N.P.-"Blurbs" - Dear ABCDE, DRAFT After many years of research and writing, my biography of George B. Dorr is nearing its March 2016 publication date. Finally! The Friends of Acadia and I would be pleased if you would review the manuscript in part or whole, contributing a brief comment that could then be used as a cover "blurb." The publisher would hope that your schedule would permit this evaluation and comment to be returned by October 19, 2015. You would be sent via email (or if you prefer hardcopy) a copy of an annotated Table of Contents, the Introduction, and the first two chapters. If you desire additional chapters--or the entire manuscript--as email attachments, that will be provided on request. Creating Acadia National Park is not only a biography of its founder and the rich cultural experiences that he brought to Mount Desert Island from his early years in Massachusetts and Europe. The origin and growth of the first national park east of the Mississippi is developed in its twenty-one chapter, aligning its evolution with the early decades of both the National Park Service and the carriage road system of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Please let us know by email no later than September 11th . You will receive the packet of attachments by September 14. Thank you. Ronald H. Epp Aimee Beal Church Eppster2@comcast.net aimee@friendsofacadia.org 717-272-0801 207-288-3340 CANP Blub Candidates: Bill Clendaniel Retired President of Mt. Auburn cemetery, Dep. Dir. Trustees of Reservations (Sheridan Steele W. Kent Olson Sydney Rockefeller Judy S. Goldstein Margie Coffin Brown Senior Project Manager, Preservation Planning Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation 15 State Street, 6th Floor Boston, MA 02109 617.223.5116 margie_coffin_brown@nps.gov Judith B. Tankard. Beatrix Farrand landscape historian - http://www.judithtankard.com/ Earl Brechlin Steve Perrin Emily Beck Rebecca Cole-Will Bob Pyle Martha Stewart Ann Rockefeller Roberts Ed Winterberg. Wildwood Stables proprietor (1990-2010) John M. Bryan. Maine Cottages study of Fred Savage Dayton Duncan Patrick Chasse. Maine landscape architect, author of study of Abby Rockefeller Gardens The Trustees President and CEO Barbara Erickson Keith Morgan SV500799725 Commonwealth Ave, Rm 210A Boston, Massachusetts 02215 Telephone: (617) 353-1441 Fax: (617) 353-3243 E-mail: knmorgan@bu.edu curriculum vitae Director of Architectural Studies, Boston University Professor; American and European Architecture B.A., The College of Wooster, M.A., Winterthur Program of the University of Delaware Ph.D., Brown University A scholar of nineteenth and twentieth century American and European architecture, Professor Morgan is interested in the relationships between architecture, urban planning and landscape architecture. Professor Morgan has taught at Boston University since 1980. He has served as the director of the Preservation Studies Program and of the American and New England Studies Program and as the chairman of the Art History Department on two occasions. He is a former national president of the Society of Architectural Historians. His recent publications include Shaping a New American Landscape: The Art and Architecture of Charles A. Platt, Boston Architecture, 1975-1990, which he coauthored with Professor Naomi Miller, and a new introduction for the republication of Charles Eliot, Landscape Architect. He is the editor and one of the principal authors for Buildings of Massachusetts: Metropolitan Boston, and serves as the architecture editor for The Encyclopedia of New England. He has received research grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Buildings of the United States project, several committees for the restoration of historic landmarks and is a trustee of the Hancock Shaker Village. 11/13/2015 XFINITY Connect XFINITY Connect eppster2@comcast.net + Font Size - Re: George B. Dorr & Ronald Epp From : Coffin Brown, Margaret Fri, Nov 13, 2015 10:46 AM Subject : Re: George B. Dorr & Ronald Epp To : Ronald Epp , Aimee Beal Church Cc : Rebecca Cole-Will Ronald and Aimee, Thank you for sharing your draft manuscript with me. I have read it cover to cover and am incredibly impressed with your work. In short, thank you for your labor of love for the park! Below are two blurbs, one long and one short. Please let me know if these work for you as I can re-craft as needed. I am also sharing my blurbs with Becky Cole-Will as I will be at the park on Monday to assist with the scoping of a cultural landscape assessment for the Oldfarm property. Best wishes, Margie Ronald Epp Manuscript Cover statement prepared by Margie Coffin Brown, National Park Service Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation Long We are very fortunate to have Ronald Epp's timely work at the 100th anniversary of the park and the National Park Service. Epp's extensive research provides new insights into the life of George B. Dorr, which Epp carefully weaves into the remarkable story of the founding of Acadia National Park. Epp documents Dorr's abilities to collaborate, his persistence, indefatigable spirit, and belief in preservation for future generations. Readers will be inspired to reflect on how the dedication of one person can influence the enjoyment and enrichment of millions. Short Ronald Epp's extensive research and recently discovered source material provides new insights into the life of George B. Dorr, which Epp carefully weaves into the remarkable story of the founding of Acadia National Park. Readers will be inspired to reflect on how the dedication of one person can influence the enjoyment and enrichment of millions. Margie Coffin Brown Senior Project Manager, Historical Landscape Architect National Park Service, Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation 15 State Street, 6th Floor Boston, MA 02109 (ph) 617 223 5116 (fax) 617 223 5172 (cell) 617 620 2942 (web) www.nps.gov/oclp https://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/printmessage?id=335682&tz=America/New_York&xim 1/2 11/13/2015 XFINITY Connect 2 16 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NationalParkService CENTENNIAL Centennial Goal: Connect with and create the next generation of park visitors, supporters. and advocates. On Tue, Sep 15, 2015 at 2:10 PM, Ronald Epp wrote: Dear Margie, Since you last emailed me in March of 2014, I have brought the Dorr manuscript to near completion, with publication by the Friends of Acadia scheduled for March 2016. My mind still vividly recalls our first meeting at the Preserving Historic Trails Conference. It was a small note in the FOA Journal that prompted my drive from Connecticut to hear about the past, present, and future of the trails system. That event when coupled with my experiences within the park over the preceding decade set me on this project that too often seemed endless. The manuscript is now out of my hands, and is quite indebted to your Pathmakers and other encouragements. I write now to ask for one additional contribution. Aimee Beal Church and I would be pleased and honored if you would be willing to write a cover "blurb" for the book. I am attaching an annotated Table of Contents, the Introduction, and the first two chapters, so that you might decide whether this is something you can and would like to do for the book. Will you please let me know by September 29th whether you are able to contribute to the cover. Aimee would then send you the full manuscript (in hard copy or electronically, as you prefer) to review. We would then ask for the blurb by October 30; however, please let me know if another deadline would make a difference in your ability to do this. Our hope is that your blurb will be 50 to 100 words in length, touching on the strengths and significance of the book. With thanks, Ronald H. Epp & Aimee Beal Church. aimee@friendsofacadia.org 207-288-3340 eppster2@comcast.net 717-272-0801 https://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/printmessage?id=335682&tz=America/New_York&xim= 2/2 11/16/2015 XFINITY Connect Long We are very fortunate to have Ronald Epp's timely work at the 100th anniversary of the park and the National Park Service. Epp's extensive research provides new insights into the life of George B. Dorr, which Epp carefully weaves into the remarkable story of the founding of Acadia National Park. Epp documents Dorr's abilities to collaborate, his persistence, indefatigable spirit, and belief in preservation for future generations. Readers will be inspired to reflect on how the dedication of one person can influence the enjoyment and enrichment of millions. Short Ronald Epp's extensive research and recently discovered source material provides new insights into the life of George B. Dorr, which Epp carefully weaves into the remarkable story of the founding of Acadia National Park. Readers will be inspired to reflect on how the dedication of one person can influence the enjoyment and enrichment of millions. Margie Coffin Brown Senior Project Manager, Historical Landscape Architect National Park Service, Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation 15 State Street, 6th Floor Boston, MA 02109 (ph) 617 223 5116 (fax) 617 223 5172 (cell) 617 620 2942 (web) www.nps.gov/oclp 2 16 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE National Park Service CENTENNIAL Centennial Goal: Connect with and create the next generation of park visitors, supporters, and advocates. On Tue, Sep 15, 2015 at 2:10 PM, Ronald Epp wrote: Dear Margie, Since you last emailed me in March of 2014, I have brought the Dorr manuscript to near completion, with publication by the Friends of Acadia scheduled for March 2016. My mind still vividly recalls our first meeting at the Preserving Historic Trails Conference. It was a small note in the FOA Journal that prompted my drive from Connecticut to hear about the past, present, and future of the trails system. That event when coupled with my experiences within the park over the preceding decade set me on this project that too often seemed endless. The manuscript is now out of my hands, and is quite indebted to your Pathmakers and other encouragements. I write now to ask for one additional contribution. Aimee Beal Church and I would be pleased and honored if you would be willing to write a cover "blurb" for the book. I am attaching an annotated Table of Contents, the Introduction, and the first two chapters, so that you might decide whether this is something you can and would like to do for the book. Will you please let me know by September 29th whether you are able to contribute to the cover. Aimee would then send you the full manuscript (in hard copy or electronically, as you prefer) to review. We would then ask for the blurb by October 30; however, please let me know if another deadline would make a difference in https://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/printmessage?id=336865&tz=America/New_York&xim= 2/3 10/20/2015 XFINITY Connect XFINITY Connect eppster2@comcast.net + Font Size - Re: Judith Tankard & Dorr Bio Blurb From : Ronald Epp Tue, Oct 20, 2015 11:18 AM Subject : Re: Judith Tankard & Dorr Bio Blurb To : Aimee Church Aimee, Regarding the use of a blend of the first and last sentence in the Tankard blurb, before this is finalized I would like to see what Bill and Margie contribute. Specifically, since Becky does not mention Eliot or JDR Jr. --and Bill and Margie may not-- I prefer not to finalize language until "all the horses are in the barn." Your thoughts? Will this work for you? On re-reading Becky's blurb. The literary flair is in the first paragraph is very effective; the third paragraph is of less standing. By the way, I'll leave Wednesday a.m. for Severna Park, Maryland for two nights with an old friend who is throwing me a birthday supper with her ex-husband and his wife. Could get interesting. Back here Friday p.m. Ron Ron From: "Aimee Beal Church" To: "Ronald Epp" Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2015 9:50:32 AM Subject: RE: Judith Tankard & Dorr Bio Blurb I think this is a reasonable result. Are you ok with it? Aimee Beal Church Communications and Outreach Coordinator Editor, Friends of Acadia Journal www.friendsofacadia.org From: Ronald Epp [mailto:eppster2@comcast.net] Sent: Monday, October 19, 2015 3:21 PM To: Aimee Beal Church Subject: Fwd: Judith Tankard & Dorr Bio Blurb Aimee, https://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/printmessage?id=329421&tz=America/New_York&xim 1/4 Judith B. Tankard Landscape Historian 1452 Beacon Street Waban MA 02468 617-965-4167 email: judith@tankard.net www.judithtankard.com Ronald H Epp, Creating Acadia National Park: The Biography of George Bucknam Dorr "Here is the untold story of the making of Acadia National Park and the critical role of George B. Dorr, a passionate lover of the natural world and, in particular, Mount Desert Island in Maine. Inspired by Yosemite and other federally protected landscapes of the West, Dorr lobbied for the preservation of Maine's unique coastal landscape. This book reveals the fascinating story of Dorr's collaboration with Harvard College president Charles W. Eliot and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., to make Acadia the first national park on the East Coast in 1916. Dorr's elite upbringing, independent spirit, and dedication to preservation make fascinating reading." Judith B. Tankard Landscape Historian 10/30/15 October 30, 2015 Blurb for George Dorr book In Creating Acadia National Park, the Biography of George Bucknam Dorr, Ron Epp has given all who love the park a wonderful gift. He has brought to life the remarkable man who more than any other deserves to be recognized as the principal actor in the park's creation and growth during its formative years. Without Dorr, Acadia as we know it today would not exist. The story of how he worked with John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Charles W. Eliot over many decades to ensure that the Acadia landscape we know and love today was preserved for public use is generally known, but this book fills out the details in many new and important ways. We learn about the many others whose support and expertise were also indispensible to the creation of Acadia. We also learn how the creation of Acadia fits into the story of our other national parks, what Ken Burns has called "America's Best Idea." Based on personal interviews and wide- ranging research in little-known and sometimes hither-to lost archives, Epp gives us an in-depth understanding of Dorr's upbringing, education, wide-ranging family and social connections, and preservation philosophy, all of which played a crucial role in the Acadia story. Dorr's little-known personal generosity and his single-mindedness and bureaucratic skill are richly described. Even those who know Acadia well will learn much from this valuable book. William C. Clendaniel, a six decade-long visitor to Acadia and formerly Deputy Director of The Trustees of Reservations in Massachusetts, President & CEO of Mount Auburn Cemetery, and board chair of the Massachusetts Historical Society October 30, 2015 Blurb for George Dorr book A wonderful gift for all who love Acadia, bringing to life the man who, more than any other, was responsible for the park's creation and early growth. We also learn about the many others, unknown today, whose support and expertise were indispensible, and how the creation of Acadia fits into the story of our other national parks. Based on wide- ranging research, Epp describes Dorr's upbringing, education, wide-ranging family and social connections, and preservation philosophy, all of which played a crucial role in the Acadia story. Even those who know Acadia well will learn much from this valuable book. William C. Clendaniel, a six decade-long visitor to Acadia and formerly Deputy Director of The Trustees of Reservations in Massachusetts, President & CEO of Mount Auburn Cemetery, and board chair of the Massachusetts Historical Society 9/20/2015 XFINITY Connect XFINITY Connect eppster2@comcast.net + Font Size Re: Ronald Epp & Mr. Dorr From : William Clendaniel Sun, Sep 20, 2015 05:43 PM Subject : Re: Ronald Epp & Mr. Dorr To : Ronald Epp Hi Ron, We were elsewhere in August as I have rented my house for that month for many years, but we will hope to see you in Boston. Ron and I both have condos and can only sleep in one at a time, so there is always a bed for friends and in Ron's case it comes with a parking space, great for those who drive. We'd be happy to put you up once we return on Oct 4. I hope you have a good trip to VT; I was born and grew up in Woodstock, and one of my sons lives in Montpelier. Middlebury is a lovely town. I would much prefer a hard copy of your manuscript. Having pictures will be a big plus. Our visit to Gettysburg is the result of a Williams classmate who grew up there, one of the MacPherson family whose property was in the midst of the battle apparently, He is sponsoring a pre-50th reunion gathering. We have good Sorrento friends who live there so will be visiting them as well as several other Sorrento people near Washington and Philadelphia. I'm sure we will have good guides at the battlefield. One classmate is quite an expert apparently. We should learn a lot. Best wishes, Bill On Fri, Sep 18, 2015 at 11:22 AM, Ronald Epp wrote: Dear Bill, How wonderful to hear that you will have the time and interest to read the Dorr manuscript and write a blurb for us. Thank you! Good to hear that you and Ron are soaking up what Maine has to offer. I last visited in mid-August but didn't contact you because I was on a tight schedule of meetings with my editor, appointments at two historical societies, and the mad rush to locate vital documents for the Epilogue which were housed in the musty and dank basement of a Bar Harbor law firm (you'll read about this in the ms.) that had Dorr and J.D. R. Jr. as clients. Then to read that you were headed to Gettysburg and could visit me here in Cornwall. But alas, the timing is off. I'm committed to attend a wedding celebration on September 25 & 26 in Middlebury VT., so I plan on leaving here on the 24th. So very sorry!! A Colgate University fellow librarian nearing retirement is marrying her significant other after fifteen years of co-habitation (partly motivated by health care concerns). She and I co-edited an anthology of essays back in 1991 and having maintained this friendship over the decades, the commitment runs deep. But back to Gettysburg. I again visited the Battlefield three weeks ago. Is that where you are headed? If so, let me know and I will offer a few suggestions. Would you like the manuscript delivered as a cluster of email message attachments or as hard copy? You should also be aware that we are finalizing selection of about 25-30 b&w images--many never published--which will be clustered in three or four sections of the manuscript. After the Vermont wedding I plan to dally a while in Massachusetts, perhaps driving out onto the Cape. If I return via Boston, I'll contact you to see if you are available for a brief visit. All the Best, Ronald From: "William Clendaniel" To: "Ronald Epp" Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2015 8:43:05 AM Subject: Re: Ronald Epp & Mr. Dorr https://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/printmessage?id=322680&tz=America/New_York&xim=1 1/3 9/20/2015 XFINITY Connect Hi Ron, So good to hear from you. I would be happy and honored to do a blurb. I have not had a chance to read your attachments as my younger son is arriving today and Ron and I have been busy talking with suppliers about a kitchen renovation here in Sorrento. And if the weather is good we have been taking to the boats as we leave on Monday! After our return to Boston I will be able to focus on it all then. The Oct 30 deadline should be no problem. I am so excited that your work is closer to seeing the light. I look forward to reading it all and am sure it will nicely fill a critical missing part to a great story. We look at Acadia everyday from our house or from our boats and spend as much time biking and hiking there as we can. Three years ago we were able to buy a 20 ft outboard, a good size to allow us to travel safely east or west from Frenchman Bay. The first time we went south and west around the end of MDI my jaw dropped at how spectacular the park is from the water. With a lifetime of driving on the Ocean Drive and hiking the mountains I had never been able to see all the cliffs with their glorious background. Dorr's lifetime of contributions to the park was a gift that resonates with so many today and will last forever. On Friday, Sept 25 Ron and I will be driving from Washington Crossing to Gettysburg, which takes us quite close to Lebanon. If you would like a short visit in the early afternoon do let me know. I have your address on Sassafras Drive. We could give you a call when we leave Washington Crossing to give you a better idea of an exact time. Best wishes, Bill On Tue, Sep 15, 2015 at 1:55 PM, Ronald Epp wrote: Dear Bill, After any years of research and writing my biography of George B. Dorr is nearing its March 2016 publication by the Friends of Acadia. It has been nine years since we first met at The Mount. I remember seeing you at the garden conference--before your introduced yourself--and wondering who was that handsome fellow who was a dead-ringer for big band leader Stan Kenton. Your encouragement of my use of the Mount Auburn Cemetery archives and our walk together through the Oldfarm grounds are etched in my memory. I thank you for this encouragement and your tender reply to my news of Elizabeth's death. I write now to ask for one additional contribution. Aimee Beal Church and I would be pleased and honored if you would be willing to write a cover "blurb" for the book. I am attaching an annotated Table of Contents, the Introduction, and the first two chapters, so that you might decide whether this is something you can and would like to do for the book. Will you please let me know by September 29th whether you are able to contribute to the cover. Aimee would then send you the full manuscript (in hard copy or electronically, as you prefer) to review. We would then ask for the blurb by October 30; however, please let me know if another deadline would make a difference in your ability to do this. Our hope is that your blurb will be 50 to 100 words in length, touching on the strengths and significance of the book. With thanks, Ronald H. Epp & Aimee Beal Church. aimee@friendsofacadia.org 207-288-3340 eppster2@comcast.net 717-272-0801 Bill Clendaniel https://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/printmessage?id=322680&tz=America/New_York&xim=1 2/3 10/20/2015 XFINITY Connect XFINITY Connect eppster2@comcast.net + Font Size = RE: Dorr biography "blurb" From : Aimee Beal Church Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:22 PM Subject : RE: Dorr biography "blurb" To : Rebecca Cole-Will Cc : Ronald Epp (eppster2@comcast.net) Hi Becky, Thank you so much! This is truly wonderful. I can't see anything I would change right off. It may be that when we design the cover we'll want to set it in two or even one paragraph-would that be ok? I'll check with Ron, as well, in case he has any additional thoughts. With much appreciation, Aimee Aimee Beal Church Communications and Outreach Coordinator Editor, Friends of Acadia Journal www.friendsofacadia.org From: Cole-Will, Rebecca [mailto:rebecca_cole-will@nps.gov] Sent: Sunday, October 11, 2015 9:24 AM To: Aimee Beal Church Subject: Dorr biography "blurb" Hi Aimee, I read the entire manuscript yesterday -- magnificent! Here is a draft blurb. I am open to any comments, edits, or suggestions, that would make it better. George B. Dorr has always been more myth than man. He is seen off in the distance striding purposefully along a trail, or standing, pensively, atop a mountain ridge looking to the distant horizon. Known locally as the father of Acadia, George Dorr was largely unknown nationally until now. With this biography, Dr. Ronald Epp eloquently brings George Dorr's life and accomplishments onto a national stage. Weaving threads of the cultural, intellectual and historical milieu in which Dorr lived, Epp's writing is both scholarly and engaging. From his background as a member of an important family of proper Bostonians, Epp traces the tapestry of events and individuals who shaped Dorr's thinking and work, culminating in the creation of a s://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/printmessage?id=328556&tz=America/New_York&xim= 1/2 10/20/2015 XFINITY Connect national park. We are constantly reminded of George Dorr's accomplishments with every walk or hike through Acadia; we marvel at him even more when turning every page of Epp's well researched and fascinating account. Rebecca Cole-Will Chief of Resource Management Acadia National Park 20 McFarland Hill Drive, PO Box 177, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 207.288.8720 ph., 207.288.8709 fx. tps://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/printmessage?id=328556&tz=America/New_York&xim= 9/15/2015 XFINITY Connect XFINITY Connect eppster2@comcast.net + Font Size George B. Dorr & Ronald Epp From : Ronald Epp Tue, Sep 15, 2015 02:10 PM 4 attachments Subject : George B. Dorr & Ronald Epp To : margie coffin brown Dear Margie, Since you last emailed me in March of 2014, I have brought the Dorr manuscript to near completion, with publication by the Friends of Acadia scheduled for March 2016. My mind still vividly recalls our first meeting at the Preserving Historic Trails Conference. It was a small note in the FOA Journal that prompted my drive from Connecticut to hear about the past, present, and future of the trails system. That event when coupled with my experiences within the park over the preceding decade set me on this project that too often seemed endless. The manuscript is now out of my hands, and is quite indebted to your Pathmakers and other encouragements. I write now to ask for one additional contribution. Aimee Beal Church and I would be pleased and honored if you would be willing to write a cover "blurb" for the book. I am attaching an annotated Table of Contents, the Introduction, and the first two chapters, so that you might decide whether this is something you can and would like to do for the book. Will you please let me know by September 29th whether you are able to contribute to the cover. Aimee would then send you the full manuscript (in hard copy or electronically, as you prefer) to review. We would then ask for the blurb by October 30; however, please let me know if another deadline would make a difference in your ability to do this. Our hope is that your blurb will be 50 to 100 words in length, touching on the strengths and significance of the book. With thanks, Ronald H. Epp & Aimee Beal Church. aimee@friendsofacadia.org 207-288-3340 eppster2@comcast.net 717-272-0801 CANP02_DrEliotSailsIntoFrenchmanBay_final.doo 69 KB CANP01_FirstImpressions_final(4).doc 98 KB CANPOO_Introduction__final(5).doc 81 KB CANP_ToC_915.doc 57 KB https://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/printmessage?id=321061&tz=America/New_York&xim=1 1/1 Creating Acadia National Park: The Biography of George Bucknam Dorr By Ronald Epp Although he is known as the "father of Acadia" and a co-founder of the oldest national park east of the Mississippi River, George Bucknam Dorr's seminal contributions to the American environmental movement have gone largely unacknowledged. Even today, those who live in or visit the coastal Maine communities surrounding Acadia National Park do not fully realize the scope of his achievements. This biography is the story of Dorr's pioneering role in the establishment and development of a unique conservation model that dovetailed with the evolution of the United States National Park Service- which shares its 2016 centennial with Acadia. In developing Acadia National Park, which became a federally-protected reserve in 1916, Dorr embodied key characteristics of the New England land conservation movement: an emphasis on self- determination, innovation, personal leadership, civic engagement, and an ethical commitment to landscape stewardship-characteristics aligned with the strongly-held values of the elite New England merchant class to which his family belonged. Maine's Mount Desert Island became the setting for Dorr to apply the practical lessons of "Boston Brahmin" philanthropy that tracked back to his maternal grandfather, banker and Harvard College Treasurer Thomas Wren Ward. Yet through his finest work- the creation and management of Acadia National Park-and through his collaborations with park co- founders Charles W. Eliot, John D. Rockefeller Jr., and others, Dorr transformed an elitist social inheritance into an all-consuming commitment to conservation that yielded a natural treasure-one that, one hundred years after its founding, is visited, enjoyed, and beloved by millions every year. The first biography of George B. Dorr ever written, this book is based on painstaking research both in the US and abroad, including federal, state, and private archives. Newly-discovered and uncatalogued sources are supplemented by in-person interviews. This work will appeal to general and scholarly readers who care about the philanthropic roots of land conservation, those interested in what has been celebrated as "America's Best Idea," and above all, those who know and love Acadia National Park. RONALD H. EPP, Ph.D. is a historian and professor of philosophy with scholarly publishing and academic library administration experience. His research over the last two decades into the Massachusetts families that influenced the development of conservation philanthropy has resulted in publications and talks to regional and national organizations.