First Chief Interpreter hailed from Wabash River area
By Terri Gorney
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Interpretation at Indiana State Parks. Howard Michaud was the first Chief Interpreter for Indiana State Parks. He was just 29 years old, and it was a summer position. In the early days of the parks, interpreters worked only from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Howard Michaud did much to promote and educate visitors about the natural beauty of the state, but his name is little known to most Hoosiers. In a 1937 article in the Indianapolis Star, it stated that a hike with Howard was a “treasured experience.” He knew the plants, trees and birds and loved sharing that knowledge. Working summers as the Chief Interpreter was the perfect job for a man who loved the outdoors.
Howard grew up fishing the Wabash River at his home in rural Berne, Indiana, a short distance from Ouabache State Park.
After college, Howard became a biology teacher at Central High School, then North Side High School in Fort Wayne. In 1946, he was hired as a professor of conservation and forestry at Purdue University and made West Lafayette his home. He had a long and distinguished career there.
In the June 1959 issue of Outdoor Indiana was an article on meetings and workshops that Indiana hosted on Interpretative Programs for Outdoor Education. People from 11 states, the National Park Service and two Canadian providences attended. One of the presenters was Howard Michaud.
He served on numerous boards, including the Indiana Academy of Sciences and served as its president in 1963.
In 1991, he was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash by Gov. Evan Bayh. A fitting award since he grew up by the Wabash River. He was presented the Theodore Roosevelt Award by the National Environmental Education Association at a ceremony in Washington, D. C. These are just two of his numerous accolades.
Into his 90s, he was concerned about environmental education.
“I think a lot of kids today have lost that feeling for the out-of-doors, because all they see is city streets,” Michaud said.
After his death in 1998, at age 95, the Environmental Education Association of Indiana (E.E.A.I.) named an award in his honor. It is given to an individual in recognition of contributions to environmental education in the state.
Cheers to Howard Michaud and his contributions to the Hoosier State.
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