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Georgie White Clark collection 1931-1992

NAU.MS.270
NAU.PH.91.13
NAU.OH.91.47


Overview of the Collection

Creator: Clark, Georgie White
Title: Georgie White Clark collection
Inclusive Dates: 1931-1992
Quantity: 3.25 linear feet textual materials and ephemera, 2 boxes of color and black-and-white photographic prints, 1 photo album, 4 audiocassettes, 4 VHS videotapes, 2 3.5" floppy disks, 1 5" floppy disk, 4 folders textual material
Abstract:The Georgie White Clark collection pertains to Clark's life as a river runner, with a specific emphasis on the Grand Canyon, the Colorado River, and Clark's whitewater rafting company, Georgie's Royal River Rats. It includes articles, correspondence, reminiscences, and photographs (mostly originally housed in scrapbooks) documenting Clark's adventures on rivers from Alaska to Mexico, as well as an 1991 oral history interview with Clark.
Identification: NAU.MS.270
NAU.PH.91.13
NAU.OH.91.47
Language: Material in English.
Repository: Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives
Northern Arizona University
Box 6022
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6022
Phone: 928 523-5551
Fax: 928 523-3770
Email: special.collections@nau.edu

Biographical Note

Georgie White Clark was born Georgia DeRoss in Guyman, Oklahoma on November 13, 1910. She was raised by her mother, along with her brother Paul and sister Marie. According to Clark, she grew up in Chicago and spent her spare childhood hours swimming in Lake Michigan (Her birth certificate lists her name as Bessie DeRoss. She actually lived in Oklahoma and Colorado). At age 17, she married Harold Clark and in 1929 gave birth to her only child, Sommona Rose Clark. The Clarks then moved to New York City, where Georgie found work as a comptometer operator for Radio City. She became fascinated with bicycling in Central Park. On August 2, 1936, Georgie and Harold set out for California on two racing bikes. They settled in Los Angeles. Georgie White Clark's mother, sister, brother, and daughter joined them soon thereafter.

Georgie and Harold Clark divorced in Chicago in 1941. She married James (Whitey) White in 1942. During World War II, Clark learned to fly in Quartzsite, Arizona and joined the Ferry Command. She completed her pilot training just as the government deactivated the Ferry Command. In June of 1944, a drunk driver struck and killed 15-year-old Sommona Rose as she and her mother bicycled towards Santa Barbara. Clark was deeply impacted by the death of her daughter.

Clark saw the Colorado River in 1944 on a hiking trip with fellow Sierra Club member and explorer Harry Aleson. In 1945 and 1946, she and Aleson swam 185 miles of the lower river in their life preservers because they could not afford a raft. Next, Clark scraped some money together and purchased a surplus seven-man raft. She used it to run the river for several years. In 1954, she lashed 3 10-man boats together (now known as a G-rig after Georgie, or a triple-rig) which enabled her to run the rapids rather than portaging. She took a group of 28 down the Colorado in 1955. Clark then improved the G-boat by cutting the bottoms out of the boats and adding an inflated oval "sausage" and a Johnson motor. The rafting company she founded, Georgie's Royal River Rats, became a permanent part of the river. In addition to the Colorado River, Clark explored the San Juan, the Rogue (Oregon), the Virgin (Utah), the Salmon, the Snake, the Chitina and Copper (Alaska), the Columbia, the Fraser (British Columbia), the South Nahanni (Northwest Territories), the Upper Balsas, the Grijalva, the Rio Yaqui, the Rio Grande de Santiago (Mexico), and the Rio Napa, Rio Maranon, and the Pongo do Maseriche (South America). Her interests outside of river running included assisting minister Shine Smith with his annual Christmas Party, distributing food to the Navajo Nation and advocating the humane treatment of animals.

Georgie White Clark and James White divorced in 1971.

In the last years of her life, Clark suffered from cancer. She died on May 12, 1992 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Information provided in this biographical history note is based on Georgie Clark: Thirty Years of River Running by Georgie White Clark (1977), Adventures of Georgie White: TV's "Woman of the Rivers" by Rose Marie DeRoss (1958), and a 1991 oral history interview with Georgie White Clark conducted by Karen Underhill (NAU.OH.91.47).


Scope and Content

The Georgie White Clark collection contains newspaper and magazine articles, correspondence, ephemera, trip logs, and photographs documenting Clark's adventures rafting rivers from Alaska to Mexico, as well as her Colorado River rafting company, Georgie's Royal River Rats, as well as a 1991 oral history interview with Clark conducted by Karen Underhill.

Most of the manuscript material in the collection (NAU.MS.270) was originally contained in 17 scrapbooks created by Clark, which were disassembled and photocopied on acid-free paper for preservation purposes. (The original order has been maintained; photographs were separated.) These scrapbooks document Clark's river running career from her first swim down the Colorado in 1945 to her commercial trips in the 1970s. The material in the books indicates what Clark felt was important to save and illustrates the devotion her "river rats" developed for her on her trips. Other materials include Clark's incoming and outgoing correspondence, journals, legal documents, interview transcripts, newspaper and magazine articles, greeting cards, and topographical and profile maps.

Photographic materials (NAU.PH.91.13) include black-and-white and color images removed from Clark's scrapbooks and arranged by original scrapbook and page number. The bulk of the photographs depict running the Colorado River, the river rat initiation, and Clark's friends. Also included are publicity shots of Clark taking trips on the Colorado, Copper and Balsas Rivers and shots of Georgie White Clark making appearances at various club meetings, boat shows, and on television. Additional photographs, originally found loose in the collection, include shots of Clark's 1938 wedding to James White, Clark training for the Ferry Command in Texas, Clark and Harry Aleson on their 1946 trip down the Colorado, Clark running the Colorado and Copper rivers, Clark and Barry Goldwater, Rainbow Bridge, and Sambo (Clark's dog), who accompanied her on all Colorado River trips for over ten years, as well as an album of color photographs taken by Frank Sojka of Glen Canyon in 1962, and exhibit photographs of running the Colorado River that Clark used to promote her trips at boat shows.


Arrangement

Sam Meier organized materials in the Georgie White Clark papers into 3 format-based groupings in 2023, based on their previous physical organization by SCA staff between 1991 and 1995:
NAU.MS.270 - Manuscripts, 1931-1992
NAU.PH.91.13 - Photographs, circa 1938-1976
NAU.OH.91.47 - Oral history interview with Georgie White Clark, conducted by Karen Underhill, November 6-7, 1991

Restrictions

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access and use in the Miriam Lemont Reading Room.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for Northern Arizona University, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.


Related Material

Friends of Georgie White Clark collection (NAU.MS.539)

L.C.B. McCullough papers (NAU.MS.53, NAU.PH.92.12, NAU.MS.53.map.1276)

Lee McCurry papers (NAU.MS.534, NAU.PH.92.17, NAU.MI.92.17)

Ivan Summers collection (NAU.MI.2004.2, NAU.AU.2004.2, NAU.PH.2004.2)

Richard E. Westwood collection (NAU.MS.298)

Grand Canyon River Guides collection (NAU.MS.247, NAU.OH.53, NAU.PH.98.4, NAU.MI.2006.3)

Separated Materials

Archival materials documenting Georgie White Clark's life donated to Special Collections and Archives by friends of Georgie White Clark, previously Series 2: Friends of Georgie in the Georgie Clark collection (NAU.MS.270), are now found in the Friends of Georgie White Clark collection (NAU.MS.539).

Archival materials documenting Georgie White Clark's life donated to Special Collections and Archives by L.C.B. McCullough, previously Series 2, Subseries 9 in the Georgie Clark collection, are now found in the L.C.B. McCullough papers (NAU.MS.53, NAU.PH.92.12, NAU.MS.53.map.1276).

Archival materials documenting Georgie White Clark's life donated to Special Collections and Archives by Lee McCurry, previously Series 2, Subseries 10 in the Georgie Clark collection, are now found in the Lee McCurry papers (NAU.MS.534, NAU.PH.92.17, NAU.MI.92.17).

Please contact Special Collections and Archives staff with any questions about separated materials.


Controlled Access Terms

Personal Name(s)
Clark, Georgie White

Geographic Name(s)
Colorado River (Colo.-Mexico)
Glen Canyon Dam (Ariz.)
Grand Canyon (Ariz.)

Subject(s)
Canyons--Arizona
Dams--Arizona
Outdoor recreation--West (U.S.)
Rafting (Sports)--West (U.S.)
River life--West (U.S.)
Rivers--Mexico
Rivers--Recreational use
Rivers--West (U.S.)
Voyages and travels
White-water canoeing--West (U.S.)
Women--Recreation--History
Women--United States


Administrative Information

Digital Material Available

SCA staff digitized selected photographs and oral history interview materials from the Georgie White Clark collection in 2011 and 2012 for online access via the Colorado Plateau Digital Collections. Search for "Georgie Clark," "NAU.PH.91.13", or "NAU.OH.91.47" to locate digitized material.

Click here to view digitized photographs from the Georgie White Clark collection.

Item-level links to digitized oral history interview materials are provided below.

Preferred Citation

[Title or brief description of item or file.] Georgie White Clark collection [manuscripts], NAU.MS.270, Box [ ], Folder [ ]. Northern Arizona University. Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives. Flagstaff, Arizona.

[Title or brief description of item or file.] Georgie White Clark collection [photographs], NAU.PH.91.13.[ ], Box [ ], Folder [ ]. Northern Arizona University. Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives. Flagstaff, Arizona.

[Title or brief description of item or file.] Georgie White Clark collection [oral histories], NAU.OH.91.47.[ ]. Northern Arizona University. Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives. Flagstaff, Arizona.

Acquisition Information

Cline Library purchased the bulk of the materials now found in the Georgie White Clark collection from Five Quail Books in 1998.

Georgie White Clark donated an oral history interview (conducted by Karen Underhill) in 1991.

Processing Information

Karen Underhill processed manuscript materials (NAU.MS.270) in the Georgie White Clark collection in 1991. Some photographic materials were separated by Underhill at this time.

Photographic materials which were removed were assigned call numbers beginning with NAU.PH.91.13 by Diane Boyer Grua in 1995. Other photographic materials remained in the manuscript portion of the collection and have not been assigned individual item-level call numbers as of September 2023.

Karen Underhill conducted an oral history interview with Georgie White Clark in 1991, which SCA staff made available online circa the 2000s. However, this interview was not included in the Georgie White Clark collection until it was reprocessed in 2023 by Sam Meier.

In 1994, Chris Johnson and Sally E. Davidson-Chadwick added materials donated by friends of Georgie White Clark's to the Georgie White Clark collection. They assigned unique photograph call numbers to each group of photographic materials, but integrated all manuscript materials (from various donors) into NAU.MS.270 and audiovisual materials (donated by Lee McCurry) into NAU.MI.91.13 and NAU.VT.91.13, respectively.

In May 2022, Sam Meier removed material loaned to SCA by Ivan Summers, previously located in Subseries 10, Box 4, Folder 136, Ivan Summers - Maps, "River Rats Newsletter" and list of names, 1928-1979, after SCA determined that the material had not been formally donated to Special Collections and Archives.

Meier re-processed the Georgie White Clark collection in fall 2023. She removed material of different provenance originally included in the collection in 1994, namely material donated by friends of Georgie White Clark, now found in the Friends of Georgie White Clark collection, the L.C.B McCullough papers, and the Lee McCurry papers. Please see the Separated Materials note for more information.


Container List

NAU.MS.270 Manuscripts 1931-1992 3.25 linear feet textual material and ephemera
Scope & Contents
The manuscript portion of the Georgie White Clark collection (NAU.MS.207) includes materials originating from scrapbooks assembled by Clark and others, correspondence, journals, newspaper and magazine clippings, and maps created or kept by Georgie White Clark. Scrapbooks generally contain newspaper and magazine clippings, trip schedules, River Rat songs, passenger journals, promotional material, and ephemera related to Georgie White's Royal River Rats. (Photographs were removed from the scrapbooks and are now found in the Photographs portion of the collection, NAU.PH.91.13.) Journals document river trips, with entries written by Clark and by others.
Arrangement
Karen Underhill organized manuscript materials in the Georgie White Clark collection into 5 series based on record type in 1991:
Series 1: Scrapbooks, 1942-1976
Series 2: Journals, 1931-1978
Series 3: Correspondence, 1956-1992
Series 4: Printed material, 1944-1992
Series 5: Topographical and profile maps, circa 1950
Series 1: Scrapbooks 1942-1976
Scope and Contents
Series one includes materials from seventeen original scrapbooks. The original pagination of each scrapbook has been maintained and noted in pencil on each document.
Each scrapbook is composed of an assortment of articles (newspapers and magazines such as time, Arizona Highways, Desert, and Sports Illustrated), trip schedules, river rat songs, Clark's logs (scrapbooks one, four, and five), passenger journals (scrapbooks one, three, six, seven, ten, eleven, twelve, and seventeen), correspondence and greeting cards, and promotional material including appearances on television shows such as "Bold Journey," "Call of the Wild," "Art Linkletter," "Vagabond,' and "Wonderful World of Women."
Some special items include a description of Clark's 1945 swim down the Colorado (scrapbook one), a 1050 Look article entitled "Six girls against the Colorado - pinups on the river" (scrapbook one), a personal 1964 letter from President Lyndon B. Johnson about dams on the Colorado (scrapbook nine, folder 18), copies of passenger letters to Stewart Udall urging him to take a trip on the river (scrapbook eleven, folder 24), and a note written by Georgie expressing her dissatisfaction with the National Park Service concession system (scrapbook sixteen, folder 38). Perhaps the most unique item is a 1957 birthday greeting which consists of 380 signatures on role of toilet paper (scrapbook thee, folder 8)!
boxfolder
11-4 Scrapbook one, 1942-1955.
15-6 Scrapbook two, 1942-1959.
17-10 Scrapbook three, 1956-1958
boxfolder
211 Scrapbook four, 1956-1959.
212-13 Scrapbook five, 1959-1960.
214 Scrapbook six, 1961.
215-16 Scrapbook seven, 1962.
217 Scrapbook eight, 1963.
218-19 Scrapbook nine, 1964.
boxfolder
320, 22-23 Scrapbook ten, 1965.
325-27 Scrapbook eleven, 1964-1966.
328-29 Scrapbook twelve, 1967.
boxfolder
431-32 Scrapbook thirteen, 1968.
433-34 Scrapbook fourteen, 1968-1969.
435-36 Scrapbook fifteen, 1969-1970.
437 Scrapbook sixteen, 1971-1972.
boxfolder
539-41 Scrapbook seventeen, 1972-1976.
box
PH-OVZ-1 Scrapbook cover, 1959.
Series 2: Journals 1931-1978
Scope and Contents
Series two consists of two folders of trip reminiscences written by Clark and others. Journals are arranged chronologically.
The trips described by Clark include: the 1945 swim, 1953 hike, Hell's Canyon, The Grijalva, the Rio Grande del Santiago, the Big Salmon, and the Copper and the Chitina rivers in Alaska.
The trips chronicled by passengers include: numerous adventures in the Grand Canyon, Sumidero Canyon of the Grijalva, the San Juan, and Glen Canyon.
boxfolder
542 Georgie White Clark's journals circa 1945-1964
543 Passenger journals 1931-1978
Series 3: Correspondence 1956-1992
Scope and Contents
This series consists of seventeen folders of incoming and outgoing correspondence arranged chronologically. This series include annual trip schedules.
The bulk of the correspondence consists of birthday greetings and thank you cards and letters. Other topics of interest include: the donation of a river rat boat to the National Park Service, the 1971 installation of a bronze plaque in Moki Canyon which expresses esteem for Georgie, the publication of her book, and radio and television appearances. Former NPS ranger Dan Davis and photographer Josef Muench represent correspondents of note.
boxfolder
544 Correspondence, undated
boxfolder
645 Correspondence, 1956.
646 Correspondence, 1960.
647 Correspondence, 1964.
648 Correspondence, 1971.
649 Correspondence, 1976.
650 Correspondence, 1970.
651 Correspondence, 1978.
652 Correspondence, 1979.
653 Correspondence, 1980.
654 Correspondence, 1981.
655 Correspondence, 1982.
656 Correspondence, 1983.
657 Correspondence, 1984.
657A Correspondence 1988
657B Correspondence 1989
658 Correspondence, 1991.
659 Correspondence, 1992.
boxfolder
860 Correspondence (oversized) 1984
Series 4: Printed material 1944-1992
Scope and Contents
The bulk of this series is made up of newspaper, magazine, and journal articles about Clark and the Colorado River, which have been photocopied on acid-free paper. Some of these articles are duplicates of those found in series one. Also included are promotional items, a copy of Dan Davis' "Escape routes from the Colorado River" and "Two weeks on the Colorado River with Georgie White."
boxfolder
661 Undated printed material
662 Printed material, 1944-1960.
663 Printed material, 1961-1964.
664 Printed material, 1965-1979.
665 Printed material, 1968-1979.
boxfolder
766 Printed material, 1980-1992.
Series 5: Topographical and profile maps circa 1950
Scope and Contents
This series consists of 18 maps filed by type of map and location in four folders. The maps all relate to the Colorado River and Grand Canyon and were apparently used regularly by Clark. The profile maps cover miles 1 to 228.
boxfolder
767-68 Topographical maps Grand Canyon.
769-70 Profile maps Grand Canyon.
NAU.PH.91.13 Photographs circa 1938-1976 55 individually numbered color and black-and-white prints, 6 folders of photographic prints, 1 photo album
Scope & Contents
The photographs portion of the Georgie White Clark collection (NAU.PH.91.13) contains black-and-white and color images removed from Clark's original scrapbooks and loosely organized by scrapbook number and page number. The bulk of the photographs from the scrapbooks (now found in folders 1-6) depict running the Colorado River, Georgie's Royal River Rats initiation, and Clark's friends. Also included are publicity shots of Clark taking trips on the Colorado, Copper and Balsas Rivers and shots of Georgie making appearances at various club meetings, boat shows, and on television.
Individually numbered photographs include 46 8x10 black-and-white and two color photographs found loose in the collection, arranged chronologically. These publication quality photos include shots of Clark's 1938 wedding to James White, Clark training for the Ferry Command in Texas, Clark and Harry Aleson on their 1946 trip down the Colorado, Clark running the Colorado and Copper rivers, Clark and Barry Goldwater, Rainbow Bridge, and Sambo (Clark's dog), who accompanied her on all Colorado River trips for over 10 years.
Finally, the collection includes an album of photographs taken by Frank Sojka of Glen Canyon in 1962. Oversize photographs include color photographs of running the Colorado that Clark used to promote her trips at boat shows and in exhibits, dating from the 1960s.
Processing Information
Karen Underhill separated photographic material from Georgie White Clark's scrapbooks, as well as loose photographic prints, in 1991, creating a photographs series (originally folders 71-81 in the manuscript portion, NAU.MS.270).
Diane Boyer Grua and Bob Lunday removed some photographic material from Underhill's folders and assigned individual item-level call numbers (NAU.PH.91.13.1-NAU.PH.91.13.55) to a selection of black-and-white and color prints in the Georgie White Clark collection in 1995. Grua also assigned individual item-level call numbers (NAU.PH.91.13.56-74) to prints found in the photo album assembled by Frank Sojka.
As of September 2023, most of the photographs originally found in Clark's scrapbooks (now found in folders 1-6) have not been assigned unique item-level call numbers by SCA staff.
boxfolder
PH11 Photos from scrapbooks 3-10
PH12 Photos from scrapbook 11
PH13 Photos from scrapbooks 11-12
PH14 Photos from scrapbook 12
PH15 Photos from scrapbooks 13-16
PH16 Photos from scrapbook 17
box
PH-OVZ-1NAU.PH.91.13.56-74 Glen Canyon by Frank Sojka [album] May 1962
box
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.1 Geo - Bike Club 2 org. - Hollywood 100 miles 1937
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.3 Geo - Sweetwater Texas 1944 - Ferry Command during training 1944
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.4 Geo - one of the planes - Ferry Command 1944
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.5 [Harry Aleson and Georgie Clark at end of Grand Canyon raft trip in 1947] William J. Belknap 1947
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.6 Showing hand hold-wrist lock to swim with through lower Grand Canyon 1946
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.7 [Portrait of Georgie Clark, seated, possibly from Bold Journey] 1956
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.8 Bold Journey No. 4 [Georgie Clark standing, holding bowl] 1956
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.9 Geo & dog [Sambo] - home - Marie's Book - page 106 2R 1956
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.10 Sambo takes a river trip, app 1960-1970, 10yrs - only pioneer dog I know off always with me for 10 yrs circa 1960s
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.11 [Georgie Clark at unknown cliff ruin] circa 1956-1958
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.17 Geo always took lots of film shooting rapids circa 1950
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.18 Nankoweap [Georgie Clark scouting rapid through binoculars] 1962
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.19 [Georgie Clark, seated in helmet] circa 1964
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.23 [Georgie Clark in boat] Weber pho circa 1960s
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.24 [Georgie Clark, standing, with hand on boat motor] circa 1960s
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.25 [Georgie Clark's back, in swimsuit and white helmet] circa 1960s
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.26 [Georgie Clark, standing in helmet and life jacket] circa 1960s
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.27 [Georgie Clark and 2 men - one possibly is Fred Eiseman] circa 1960s
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.28 Buster's right front paw 6-10-77 [with pawprint on verso] Pee Wee's dog 1yr. my pal June 10, 1977
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.29 Lunch - just above Soap rapid - Colorado River 1958
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.36 Group long ago circa 1960s
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.39 Old old picture app 1957 [Thrill righ and G-rig] 1957
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.41 Cataract 1955
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.42 Small boats 1958
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.43 Lara 1958 - Stackhouse, 1958 1958
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.45 3 small boats - rowed + power circa 1950
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.46 Horn Rapid - Marie's Book also in old Sport Ill. magazine Photograph, 19 x 24. circa 1960s
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.47 Big G-Rig from Life Pictures. Lava Falls, taken from helicopter of Life about 1960. Only one on river circa 1960s
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.49 To Georgie; From River Rats Helen & Francis Vore. Lava Falls Rapid May 1969
PH1NAU.PH.91.13.50 [Unidentified person - possibly Stewart Udall - at Rainbow Bridge] circa 1960s
box
PH-OVZ-1NAU.PH.91.13.51 [Group of people rafting in boats labeled 'Georgie', likely the Colorado River] circa 1960s
PH-OVZ-1NAU.PH.91.13.52 [Group of people rafting in boats labeled 'Georgie', likely the Colorado River] circa 1960s
PH-OVZ-1NAU.PH.91.13.53 [Group of people rafting in boats labeled 'Georgie', likely the Colorado River] circa 1960s
PH-OVZ-1NAU.PH.91.13.54 [Group of people rafting in boats labeled 'Georgie', likely the Colorado River] circa 1960s
PH-OVZ-1NAU.PH.91.13.55 [Group of people rafting in boats labeled 'Georgie', likely the Colorado River] circa 1960s
box
OH1NAU.OH.91.47 Oral history interview with Georgie White Clark, conducted by Karen Underhill November 6-7, 1991 4 audiocassettes, 4 VHS videotapes, 2 3.5" floppy disks, 1 5" floppy disk, 4 folders textual material
Oral history interview with Georgie Clark [with transcript] (part 1)

Oral history interview with Georgie Clark [with transcript] (part 2)

Scope & Contents
The oral history interview file (NAU.OH.91.47) includes transcripts and audio (audiocassette) and video recordings (VHS tapes) of an oral history interview with Georgie White Clark conducted by Karen Underhill in November 1991. The interview covers Clark's childhood, early memories, her 1936 bicycle trip, her husbands Harold Clark and James White and other significant romantic relationships, her daughter Sommona Rose and Sommona's death in 1944 at age 15, swimming the Colorado River with Harry Aleson in 1945 and at other times, her river rafting company Georgie's Royal River Rats, her use of motorized and oar boats, her boatmen (and "boatwomen), initiations and rituals for River Rats, her iconic leopard print outfits, safety issues associated with her approach to whitewater rafting, injuries and deaths which occurred during her trips, the Glen Canyon Dam, and her thoughts on river rafting, the Colorado River, and Grand Canyon in general.