It looks to me that NSP had begun issuing appointments to women patrollers in 1941 beginning with #1 on a separate list. Interestingly, the list started at the beginning of WW II, a time when there were labor shortages as many men went off to war in Europe and the Pacific. The ski industry may have experienced the same sort of labor problems that aircraft builders had as they tried to keep up with the demands for warplanes and so began utilizing women.

The practice of separate lists was discontinued in 1963 maybe because of the appearance of inequality. Women since then were added to the main list now numbering over 9000 appointments. The original 170 women do not appear to have been merged into the main list because that would have (I'm guessing) required that they be renumbered. Not a pleasant thought if you were the first women who held National Appointment #1 for twenty years.

Hopefully someone can set me straight with the facts and email me. I did not know of the separate list until Jack Moscowitz (National Appt #1514) told me of its existence.  Bridget Ericsson of the national office (NSP) was able to locate it up and send it to me when I asked her about it.

When I get a chance I plan to merge the following Women's National Number list into the master 1938-1970 list while keeping their numbers by adding them date ordered.

David Coffin

• List of Leadership Commendation Appointments 1991- Current