People

: Gilbert Riley "Gil" Wenger; An expert on the archaeology of Mesa Verde. He was born to Martin G. Wenger and Annie (Ebersol) Wenger in Grand Junction, Colorado. He grew up in Grand Junction and in Salt Lake City. He served in the US Air Force during World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart. He attended the University of Denver, where he received a B.A. and Master’s Degree, before launching his career with the National Park Service. He worked at several national parks before serving for fourteen years as the Chief Archaeologist at Mesa Verde. He wrote the books, Story of Mesa Verde National Park (1980, 1991) and Archeological Techniques Used at Mesa Verde National Park (1982). He retired to Grand Junction in 1982 after a 33 year career. He died at the age of seventy-seven. *Some information for this biography was taken from Gilbert Wenger’s obituary in the Daily Sentinel (July 21, 2000). **Photograph from the 1948 University of Denver yearbook