Carl W. Sharsmith (1903 - 1994) was in 1989 the oldest living Park Ranger in the United States. He was granted a National Park Service Meritorious Service Award in 1956, and the Yosemite Award in 1990--the first ever recipient of such an honor, in recognition of his legacy. He worked as a ranger at Yosemite National Park from 1931 until 1993, the year before his death. In addition to his work as a summer interpretor for visitors to the park, he performed herbarium research, work which would later be compiled for the Carl W. Sharsmith Herbarium at San Jose State University, where he taught from the years 1950 to 1973. Peak 12002 in Yosemite is informally known as Sharsmith Peak.
When asked what he would do if he only had a day to see Yosemite he replied, "I'd sit by the Merced River and cry."