Ippolito, John

Interview 290a: In this interview with Jonathan Gerland former National Forests and Grasslands in Texas archaeologist John Ippolito reminisces about his career. Starting with his education at Texas A&M University, Mr. Ippolito recalls his first experiences in the field in West Texas and on the Texas coast, is path to becoming an archaeologist in East Texas, and the particular challenges of doing archaeology in the National Forests. He discusses the balance between forest management and harvesting needs versus archaeological needs, working with other government entities like the Army Corps of Engineers and the Texas Historical Commission, and how he, and later his staff, documented archaeological finds. He also discusses changes in forest management practices, fire prevention and use, and grazing within the National Forests.