Albert Amos Hawkins

Known by his middle name, Amos was born in 1928 at the foot of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. After graduation from high school, he furthered his education at Bluefield College and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Richmond. He served in the US Coast Guard from 1952-56 in Groton, CT. Upon his discharge, he and his family moved back to Virginia where he taught school and worked seasonally at Shenandoah NP. Yearning for a permanent position with the National Park Service, he finally landed a park ranger job in North Carolina on the Blue Ridge Parkway in 1962.

His long career included time at the Grand Canyon NP and Prince William Forest Park where he eventually became its first superintendent. Other superintendent assignments included Cumberland Gap NHP where he worked in getting the tunnel built between Tennessee and Kentucky.

As superintendent of Mammoth Cave NP, he worked to protect the cave environment and expand the cave system. While there, a new underground river was discovered and in 1979 it was named “The Amos Hawkins River.”

His last superintendent assignment was Delaware Water Gap NRA in PA/NJ. While there the NPS approved the development of a new site in Scranton, PA named Steamtown NHS. Amos was chosen to head the development of this new railroad historical park while doing his work at the Gap.

In 1988, on his last day before retirement, Steamtown NHS was officially opened. He was honored on the floor of the US House of Representatives for his years of NPS worked by US Congressman, Joseph McDade.

He and his wife, Denise, moved to Bowling Green, KY. They enjoyed 34 years of being a part of the WKU Hilltopper family. Amos died on March 27, 2022. His family and friends hope this scholarship will advance another person’s dream who has the same desire to serve and preserve as Amos.