Matt Bischoff

SCA’s Interview with Matt Bischoff

Matt Bischoff is a historian and historical archaeologist, currently serving as the Cultural Resources Manager for the Monterey District of California State Parks. He has worked all over the West in a variety of capacities, including consultant, expert witness, production advisor, and historical archaeologist. He has always had a particular affinity for the desert, with its vast open spaces and truly unique resources. The Desert Training Center has become one of his favorites and he hopes to share the story with others.

SCA: Where were you born and can you tell us about some of your earliest memories and family life while growing up?

MB: I was born in Los Angeles (Queen of Angels Hospital!). My father was a professor at USC and my mother was a Master’s Degree student in Dance. We moved to Palo Alto when I was in Kindergarten. So, I mostly grew up in the Bay Area. We were active, spending a lot of time outdoors. Playing sports, visiting parks, taking summer trips to visit National Parks, Museums, Monuments. Lots of time camping. I also was involved in the Boy Scouts, so got lots of experience in the outdoors, as well as in leadership. I was always in some kind of sport – soccer, football, track and field.

SCA: Do you have any pets or favorite hobbies you’d like to tell us about?

MB: I still love being outdoors. Right now, it's mountain biking. Hiking with my wife. Also going to sporting events with my sons (anything the Cal Bears are playing). My younger son and I recently completed a backpacking trip in the Central Sierras. I also enjoy fishing. Exploring. Swimming. 

SCA: How do you like to spend your days when you’re not at work?

MB:  I’m involved in my church, so serving on several ministries, and teaching kids (which is one of my passions). Going to my son’s sporting events (soccer, cross country, track), visiting my older son and having adventures out in the desert. Visiting hot springs!

SCA: What’s the last book you read or movie you watched that you really enjoyed?

MB:  My reading interests are all over the place-- right now I’m reading War and Peace after having finished reading the firsthand account of the invasion of Russia by Napoleon’s aide de camp.

SCA:  Tell us about the people that most influenced you when you were growing up.

MB: Definitely my parents, and sister. My father was a geologist, so I was blessed to spend time with him out in the field. That’s where my love for the desert comes from. My Mom’s love of life, and of people. My sister’s support, friendship and encouragement. Coming to faith in Christ while living in Reno was, of course, transformational. He’s never let me down!

SCA: Where did you go to school to become a historian?

MB: I went to the University of California, Davis, initially to become a geologist. But soon discovered that was not my calling or gifting. I really enjoyed history, and it came much easier than Calculus, Mineralogy, Chemistry. I went on to get  a Master’s Degree at the University of

Nevada, Reno. I thought I was going to be a professor, but after working with one of my major professors, Dr. Don Hardesty, I realized there was a whole other world of consulting out there. I was really attracted to the interplay of history and archaeology. I enjoyed doing research and looking at the physical evidence, whether it was an abandoned homestead, a battlefield, or a dilapidated building. I also had the privilege of doing a thesis on the Northern Paiute and their relationship with the federal government in the late nineteenth century.

SCA: Can you tell us about some of your earliest field experiences as a historian?

MB:  I worked for a sole proprietor in San Diego and we were working on military bases, evaluating historical significance. Then we got involved in the base closure process going on in the mid-1990s, and I got great experience going all over the country evaluating mostly cold war era resources. I then worked at Edwards Air Force Base and got a broad array of experience doing field surveys, excavating a townsite, researching former classified projects, and really enjoying all the charms of the desert. I then went to work for SRI in Tucson, Arizona and had a great experience working all over the West on a wide variety of projects.

SCA: How did you come to work with California State Parks?

MB:  Jim Newland suggested I apply, and not giving it much thought, I decided to start the application process. Two years later, I was working at the Central Service Center in Monterey as a permanent intermittent employee (I didn’t even know what that meant). After that office closed, we moved to Sacramento for a couple of years before taking a promotion to Monterey District.

SCA: You’ve been with State Parks for a quarter century. What was it like working in the parks in the early days and how does that compare to more recent times?

MB: Honestly, things haven’t changed that much in my opinion. Of course, I am doing more management now than I was back then so I have less time to do research and write and do fieldwork. But it’s nice to see more archaeologists and historians in the department than when I first started. I think we’re being integrated into the “system” a little more. One major shift is our emphasis on meaningful Tribal relations, which is a big part of my job now. I have also focused more of my work on actual building restoration, as we are seeing a steady decline in our historic buildings throughout the Department and State. We need people who genuinely care for these resources and have the special skill and mindset to maintain and restore them. That has become one of my key priorities.

SCA: Who are some of the historians (and non-historians) who have most influenced you over the course of your career?

MB: Leslie Hartzell hired me at Parks so I need to give her props. Dan Osanna and I have kind of grown up together in the Department, and I value sharing war stories with him. I always looked up to the scholars who were in the Department long before I came along. People like yourself (Breck Parkman), Glenn Farris, Karen Hildebrand, Pete Schulz, John Foster, Rae Schwaderer, and many more I’m sure I’m missing. Tony Crosby, formerly with the National Park Service was a hands-on architect who’s career I am amazed at. A lot of great people from SRI, including Jeffrey Altschul, Terry Majweski, Mathew Sterner, Eric Klucas among others. I learned a lot from all of them. There are so many dedicated, talented, brilliant people working in State Parks, and consulting firms that I constantly learn from and are inspired by.

SCA: Do you have any concerns about the future of Cultural Resource Management?

MB:  It’s such an overused term, but we need to show the relevance of cultural resources. Connect people with the past. Spark interest. Avoid the tendency to be aloof and unapproachable. I was never one to use a lot of jargon as I think our work is and should be approachable and interesting to the general public.

SCA: Have you ever regretted becoming a historian?

MB:  Never. There are times I wish I had learned more about a particular topic, but we always have opportunities to learn. You never know what will come up in your professional life, so be ready.

SCA:  If you hadn’t become a historian, what would you have wanted to do for a living?

MB: I actually got my stockbrokers license when I first got out of graduate school. The job market was rough, and I was tired of academia. I wanted to try something new. That didn’t last long, however, as I found a great opportunity with a sole proprietor (Bill Manly) in San Diego. Like most of us, I did my time working projects, without a permanent job. Working surveys and excavations out in remote locations for little pay and terrible accommodations. That was a great experience, however, and made me appreciate having a full time position.

SCA: At the SCA’s banquet in Palm Springs, you’ll be talking about the Army Training Center that was established in southern California and Arizona in 1942 in order to prepare U.S. troops for desert warfare. Do many physical remnants of the training activity remain and what do you see as the importance of this part of our country’s history?

MB:  Amazing story that has always fascinated me. It really is a largely unknown resource in the “backyard” of most Californians. Incredible, herculean efforts represented out there. Young men (and women) came from all over the country, most having never seen California before. They were trained in a truly unique environment that, I would argue, provided the best preparation for combat theaters overseas. It was tough. Realistic. Even though most did not end up in North Africa, the training was extremely valuable. There is so much still out there today. Division-sized camp outlines, insignias created out of rocks, defensive positions, airfields. Much of it is going away, however with natural erosion taking its toll, but also from solar energy projects. I have enjoyed studying its archaeological remains, researching its history, and telling the captivating story to as many people as I can.

SCA: Do you have any parting advice for our members?

MB: Enjoy what you do. I always tell my staff, “what we do matters!” Get a broad array of experience with a variety of resource types. Always be learning. But make sure to have a balance. Serve a higher calling. Love people and use things, not the other way around.