Samuel Pfrimmer Hays

1921 - 2017

Samuel Pfrimmer Hays, son of C. Blaine Hays and Clara Ridley Pfrimmer, was born April 5, 1921, in Corydon, Indiana. He died November 22, 2017 at Frasier Meadows Retirement Community in Boulder, Colorado. He graduated from Corydon High School in 1940, Swarthmore College in 1948 and received a PhD from Harvard University in 1953. He was a conscientious objector, and served in Civilian Public Service from 1943 to 1946, most of those years at the forestry camp in Elkton, Oregon. His Civilian Public Service fortuitously extended his time at Swarthmore where he met and later married Barbara Darrow in 1948. In college, Sam and Barbara became Quakers, and were actively involved in the Friends Meeting for many years, especially during their time in Pittsburgh. Sam taught American history at the University of Illinois, the University of Iowa, and from 1960 to 1990 at the University of Pittsburgh. Sam was president of the Urban History Association in 1992, received the first Career Achievement award from the American Society of Environmental History in 1997, and the Distinguished Service Award from the Organization of American Historians in 1999. He was the author of eight books and over 75 articles in American History, including the classic Conservation and the Gospel of Efficiency, first published over 50 years ago and still widely read today. Sam had deep roots in Harrison County, Indiana, with well over 20 ancestors in the County before 1825. He made many contributions to Harrison County genealogy, and the genealogy of both his and his wife's families. He donated an inherited farm of 320 acres to establish the Hayswood Nature Reserve and Indian Creek Woods, both located just south of Corydon and managed as units of the Harrison County Park System. Sam established two endowments, now part of the Harrison County Community Foundation Fund, to provide financing for both Indian Creek Woods and the Frederick Porter Griffin Historical and Genealogical Library in Corydon. As a lifelong gardener, baseball fan, and lover of the outdoors, Sam passed many of these interests on to his children. He gardened on his patio at Frasier Meadows well into his 80's and was particularly proud of a Maximilian's sunflower that found a home in Frasier's courtyard garden. Sam first listened to Cubs games on an old Zenith radio in his grandfather's room, attended the last Pirates game at Forbes Field, and celebrated his 80th birthday with the Rockies at Coors Field. His interest in natural resources bridged his personal and professional lives, and for several decades he was actively engaged with a number of local and statewide environmental issues and organizations in Pennsylvania. In 2000, Sam and Barbara moved to Boulder, Colorado to be near two of their children, and three grandchildren. During his 17 years at Frasier Meadows Manor, Sam made many contributions to the community, including authoring a history of Frasier on the occasion of its first half-century. He is survived by his wife Barbara, currently residing in memory care at Juniper Village in Louisville, CO, his 4 children: Peter Hays of Eugene, Oregon; Polly Hays of Denver, Colorado; Michael Hays of Chicago, Illinois; and Becky Bragg of Boulder, Colorado, and their immediate and extended families. A remembrance in honor of Sam's life will be held at Frasier Meadows Manor in Boulder from 1-3 PM on Monday, December 18th. Plans are also underway for a memorial gathering on April 7, 2018 in Sam's hometown of Corydon, Indiana. Contributions in Sam's memory may be made to the Harrison County Community Foundation Fund for Indian Creek Woods, or the Frederick Porter Griffin Fund for the History and Genealogy of Harrison County, or an organization of your choosing. Sam was widely admired, respected and well loved. He will be missed.