Conservation Conversation

Legendary state ecologist’s collection now preserved by MTSU’s Walker Library

by Nancy DeGennaro

Mack Prichard began his storied 50-year career with the state of Tennessee at 16 as a seasonal naturalist at Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park near Memphis. Over the decades, he was instrumental in promoting conservation and establishing state parks and natural areas throughout Tennessee.

Now, hundreds of books, papers, and postcards from the estate of the legendary Tennessee ecologist are housed in Special Collections at MTSU’s James E. Walker Library. Prichard, who died in 2020 at age 81, served the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation as the first state archaeologist and later as the first state naturalist.

“I am enjoying the postcard collection,” said Susan Martin, Special Collections librarian. “It is quite extensive, covering almost all 50 states, as well as select foreign countries. Flora, fauna, and natural history are the predominant subjects, but there’s also your typical tourist ‘greetings from’ and tourist sites as well. I am particularly fond of a small batch of American Airlines and British Airways cards.”

The Mack Prichard Collection was donated by the Mack S. Prichard Foundation, which preserves and promotes the legacy of the late conservationist. The collection includes approximately 350 books from his personal library, dozens of papers from numerous speaking engagements and scholarly presentations, and thousands of things from places he found interesting.

“We are so pleased to be able to help preserve Mack’s legacy, and the collection complements our other collections that focus on Tennessee and natural history,” Martin said. “It will allow us to connect with a new segment of MTSU faculty and students, as well as in the wider community.”

Prichard also was a founding member of the nonprofit Tennessee Trails Association and was involved in the creation of at least 30 conservation associations throughout the state. Additionally, he is a noted figure in the preservation of Nashville’s beloved Radnor Lake, which was eventually enveloped within the Tennessee State Park system.

“He was a driving force behind the creation of Savage Gulf State Natural Area as well as at least 22 other state parks and natural areas,” said Mary Priestley, a board member of the nonprofit Friends of South Cumberland State Parks. “A complex and driven person, he had a propensity for saving things, including particularly Tennessee’s beauty spots, archaeological treasures, and waterways.

He also saved books, papers, and postcards, and I’m so thankful that the collection has a home at MTSU.

In addition to his career as an environmentalist, historian, and archaeologist, Prichard was a noted photographer who documented nature and notable locations across the state.

Those images are housed in the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville.

The Mack S. Prichard Foundation, curated by the Friends of South Cumberland State Parks, was also in search of a home for his personal library. Biology Professor Kim Sadler connected foundation representatives with Special Collections, and plans were put in place to move the items to MTSU. It was a win-win for everyone.

“MTSU’s Center for Environmental Education and Center for Cedar Glade Studies have a long-standing partnership in conservation with Tennessee State Parks through our staff and outreach programs,” Sadler said. “The Mack Prichard Collection provides our students with hands-on access to Mack’s resources that supported him while serving as Tennessee’s first state naturalist.”

Other collections at Special Collections in Walker Library include Early Tennessee Imprints, Margaret Lindsley Warden Memorial Collection for Equine Studies, the Joan Hunt Collection, and extensive materials on Tennessee agriculture, geology, and archaeology.

The Prichard collection is currently being processed by the Special Collections staff.

“We are working on arranging his personal papers and writing a finding aid, as well as cataloging the books,” Martin said.

Learn more

MTSU Special Collections: library.mtsu.edu/specialcollections

Mack S. Prichard Foundation: mackprichard.com