Virginia Wood

Virginia “Ginny” Hill Wood was born in Moro, Washington, on October 24, 1917. She came to Alaska in 1947 after serving as a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) during World War II. She subsequently received the Congressional Gold Medal for her honorable service. In 1952, Ginny Wood, her husband Morton Wood, and their friend Celia Hunter opened Camp Denali, a wilderness tourism lodge in Denali National Park. Ginny Wood was passionate about environmental conservation and dedicated much of her life to the preservation of the Alaskan wilderness. She passed away on March 8, 2013, at the age of 95. For more about Ginny Wood, see her obituary in the Fairbanks Daily News Miner newspaper or the book Boots, Bikes and Bombers: Adventures of Alaska Conservationist Ginny Hill Wood, edited by Karen Brewster (University of Alaska Press, 2012).