Caroline Dormon Collection

Collection 499

Dormon, Caroline (1888–1971). Collection, 1930s

3 feet

Caroline Dormon was born in northern Natchitoches Parish to James L. Dormon and Caroline Trotti Dorman. Often referred to as “Miss Carrie”, Ms. Dormon was a botanist, horticulturist, ornithologist, naturalist, and author. She was considered the first woman employed in forestry in the United States. She worked closely with Louisiana and U.S. Forest Service leaders to establish parks and forestlands comprising 600,000 acres, stretching over seven Louisiana parishes. One such forest included the Kisatachie National Forest, where she received support from U.S. Representative James B. Aswell.

Ms. Dormon was consulted on multiple projects for such parks as the Hodges Gardens State Park in Sabine Parish and the 301-acre Louisiana State Arboretum in Evangeline Parish. In honor of Ms. Dormon’s life and work, her childhood home, Briarwood, was converted to a forest preserve, now called the Caroling Dormon Nature Preserve, where students go to learn about the natural ecosystems of the south. Ms. Dormon also published several works including Wild Flowers of Louisiana (1934), Forest Trees of Louisiana (1941), Flowers Native to the Deep South (1958), Natives Preferred (1965), Southern Indian Boy (1967), and Bird Talk (1969).

This collection consists of framed sketches of different flowers. The sketches are oversized and are organized into three boxes.

The Louisiana Society for Horticultural Research Board of Directors donated the collection.

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