This collection contains the professional papers of Conrad M. Arensberg, anthropologist, university professor, and anthropological consultant. Included are correspondence; published and unpublished writings; research materials, including notes, correspondence, diaries, charts, drafts, interviews, research plans, reports, project proposals, and bibliographic cards; speeches; pamphlets; articles from newspapers and periodicals; course materials, including bibliographies, lecture notes, reading lists, assignments, exams, project proposals, and syllabi; curriculum vitae; date books; scholarly papers and publications of other scholars; and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains the professional papers of Conrad M. Arensberg, anthropologist, university professor, and anthropological consultant. Included are correspondence; published and unpublished writings; research materials, including notes, correspondence, diaries, charts, drafts, interviews, research plans, reports, project proposals, and bibliographic cards; speeches; pamphlets; articles from newspapers and periodicals; course materials, including bibliographies, lecture notes, reading lists, assignments, exams, project proposals, and syllabi; curriculum vitae; date books; scholarly papers and publications of other scholars; and photographs.
The materials in this collection document Arensberg's career as a university professor, his relationships with colleagues across a spectrum of disciplines, and his contributions to the field of anthropology. As a respected member of the anthropological community, Arensberg received a voluminous amount of correspondence from his peers, who often included copies of their most recent papers. He kept many of these works, which, along with his annotations, can be found throughout the collection. It appears he used these papers in a variety of ways, including as resources for his classes or as reference materials. Arensberg's own work is reflected in his writings and research files. Arensberg's Ireland research, despite its importance to his career and to the field of anthropology as a whole, has a minimal presence in the collection. Located in Series 3. Research Files, the subseries containing Arensberg's Ireland material primarily consists of photocopies of his correspondence, field notes, and diaries during this time. His role as a professor, rather than as a researcher or writer, is the most well-represented in the collection. Arensberg formed lasting relationships with many of his students, as evidenced by his continued correspondence with many of them long after their years at Columbia.
Arrangement:
The collection is organized into 8 series:
Series 1) Correspondence, 1933-1994
Series 2) Writings, 1936-1983
Series 3) Research files, 1931-1984
Series 4) Professional activities, 1933-1990
Series 5) Teaching files, 1938-1983
Series 6) Biographical files, 1946-1997
Series 7) Subject files, 1934-1979
Series 8) Photographs, undated
Biographical Note:
Conrad M. Arensberg was born on September 12, 1910 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Academically inclined from a young age, he graduated first in his class at Shadyside Academy in Pittsburgh. His early success earned him admittance to Harvard College. Arensberg studied anthropology and graduated summa cum laude in 1931.
As a graduate student at Harvard University, Arensberg was asked to join a project being conducted in Ireland by Harvard's Anthropology Department. Alongside W. Lloyd Warner and Solon T. Kimball, Arensberg spent three years studying rural Irish life in County Clare. This research resulted in his doctoral dissertation, "A Study in Rural Life in Ireland as Determined by the Functions and Morphology of the Family," which was later published as The Irish Countryman in 1937. His work was groundbreaking in the field of anthropology, and his study of County Clare "became a model for other community studies... requiring that researchers study a target culture from the inside, making meticulous notes on everything they saw, heard or experienced." Arensberg reshaped the way that anthropologists approached fieldwork and opened doors for the study of modern industrial societies.
Arensberg had a long teaching career. He first became a university professor in 1938 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and remained a professor for the rest of his life, teaching at MIT, Brooklyn College, Barnard College, Columbia University, the University of Florida, and the University of Virginia. At Columbia, Arensberg worked alongside such notable anthropologists as Margaret Mead, Charles Wagley, and Marvin Harris.
Arensberg officially retired in 1979, but he continued to collaborate with his colleagues, counsel past students, and participate in professional associations until his death. He passed away on February 10, 1997 in Hazlet, New Jersey.
Curriculum Vitae—Amended Posthumously. Series 6. Biographical Files. Conrad M. Arensberg papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Thomas, Robert McG. Jr. 1997. "Conrad Arensberg, 86, Dies; Hands-On Anthropologist." New York Times, February 16: 51.
Chronology
1910 September 12 -- Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1931 -- B.A. from Harvard College
1932-1934 -- Traveled to Ireland to study rural life in County Clare as part of the Harvard Irish Mission
1933-1936 -- Junior Fellow, The Society of Fellows, Harvard University
1933-1994 -- Member and Fellow, American Anthropological Association
1934 -- Ph.D. in Anthropology from Harvard University
1937 -- Published The Irish Countryman, the result of his work in Ireland
1938-1940 -- Occasional consultant, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of American Ethnology
1938-1941 -- Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences and Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1940 -- Founded (with others) the Society for Applied Anthropology
1941-1946 -- Associate Professor and Chairman, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Brooklyn College
1943-1946 -- Captain, Major, AUS, Military Intelligence Service
1946-1952 -- Associate Professor of Sociology, Chairman (until 1949) Department of Sociology, Barnard College, Columbia University
1951-1952 -- Research Director, UNESCO, Institute for the Social Sciences, Cologne, Germany
1951-1952 -- Editor, Point Four Manual, American Anthropological Association
1952-1953 -- Associate Professor of Anthropology, The Graduate Faculty of Political Science, Columbia University
1953-1970 -- Professor of Anthropology, Chairman (1956-1959), Department of Anthropology, Columbia University
1962-1978 -- Co-Director (with Alan Lomax) of Columbia University's Cross-Cultural Surveys of Social Structure and Expressive Behavior
1970-1979 -- Buttenwieser Professor of Human Relations, Columbia University
1979-1997 -- Buttenwieser Professor Emeritus of Human Relations, Columbia University
1980 -- President, American Anthropological Association
1991 -- First recipient, "Conrad M. Arensberg Award" of the Society for the Anthropology of Work
1997 February 10 -- Died in Hazlet, New Jersey
Related Materials:
Arensberg is listed as a correspondent in the following collections at the Smithsonian Institution's National Anthropological Archives: John Lawrence Angel papers; Papers of Carleton Stevens Coon; Ethel Cutler Freeman papers; Frederica de Laguna papers; Ruth Landes papers; William Duncan Strong papers.
For oral history interviews with Arensberg, see the following collections:
-The Smithsonian Institution's Human Studies Film Archives "Video Dialogues in Anthropology: Conrad Arensberg and Lambros Comitas, 1989." In this video oral history conducted by anthropologist Lambros Comitas, Arensberg comments on his training in anthropology, the individuals who were influential in his career, and the geographical areas where he conducted his fieldwork.
-The National Anthropological Archives Manuscript (MS) 2009-15. May Mayko Ebihara conducted this oral history interview with Arensberg on March 7, 1984 as part of a larger oral history project with anthropologists.
For more concerning Arensberg's work with interaction theory, see the Frederick L.W. Richardson papers at the National Anthropological Archives. Richardson worked closely with Eliot Chapple and Conrad Arensberg on theories concerning human interaction.
For correspondence and other information related to Arensberg's Ireland research, see:
Solon Toothaker Kimball Papers, Special Collections, Teachers College, Columbia University; and Solon Toothaker Kimball Papers, The Newberry Library, Chicago.
Additional materials concerning Arensberg's research and personal life can be found among the papers of his wife, anthropologist Vivian "Kelly" Garrison. See the Vivian E. Garrison papers at the National Anthropological Archives.
Provenance:
These papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by Vivian E. Garrison Arensberg in 2011.
Restrictions:
The Conrad M. Arensberg papers are open for research.
Files containing Arensberg's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. For preservation reasons, the computer disk containing digital correspondence files from Joel Halpern is restricted.
Access to the Conrad M. Arensberg papers requires an appointment.
Conrad M. Arensberg papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
The papers of Conrad M. Arensberg were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Vivian E. Garrison Arensberg.
Abstracts from 1964 Symposium: Tourism—A Neglected Area of Culture Change Research and Applied Anthropology
Ashton, Guy—Tourism As Culture Contact: A Bibliographic Survey on the Impact of Tourism
Bodine, James—Symbosis at Taos and its Impact on the Pueblo: A Case of "Unplanned" Economic Development
Boek, Walter S.—Planning and Implementation of Tourism as a Significant Acculturative Force in Economic and Social Development
Nunez, Theron A., Jr.—Authority Versus Anarchy: The Impact of Urban Tourism on the Rural Milieu
Pitt Rivers, Julian—Tourism in South Western France
Silverberg, James—Tourism: A Neglected Area of Culture Change Research and Applied Anthropology
Sticher, John H.—The United States Indian Service Responds to a Felt Need in Tourism Development
Suhm, Lawrence L.—Tourism as a Use of Leisure
Collection Restrictions:
Materials relating to CSAS award applicants and selected correspondence from 1976-77 are restricted until 10 years after the death of the correspondents. Computer disks are restricted due to preservation concerns.
Access to the Central States Anthropological Society records requires an appointment.
This series consists of papers presented at the CSAS annual meetings. Most of the papers arrived at the NAA as part of Cara Richard's president files. Papers by Alan R. Sandstrom were separated from his president files. Also in this series are abstracts from the 1964 Symposium on Tourism—A Neglected Area of Culture Change Research and Applied Anthropology.
Collection Restrictions:
Materials relating to CSAS award applicants and selected correspondence from 1976-77 are restricted until 10 years after the death of the correspondents. Computer disks are restricted due to preservation concerns.
Access to the Central States Anthropological Society records requires an appointment.
Video oral history of anthropologist and sociologist Murray Wax conducted by anthropologist H. Russell Bernard. Dr. Wax discusses the people and events that were influential in his career including Franz Boas and Robert Redfield, his work among the Sioux and Cherokee Indians, and teaching.
Legacy Keywords: Boas, Franz, 1858-1942 ; Hewes, Everett ; Mead, Margaret, 1901-1978 ; Redfield, Robert ; Wax, Rosalie ; Universities University of Miami ; Universities University of Chicago ; Language Cherokee ; Sociology ; Anthropology applied anthropology ; South Dakota Pine Ridge ; Oklahoma ; Special Collections ; Sioux ; Cherokee Indians ; Indians of North America Great Plains ; Dakota Indians ; Indians of North America Southern States
General:
Local Number: HSFA 1989.10.17
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Video Dialogues in Anthropology, Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Video oral history of anthropologist Lauriston Sharp conducted by anthropologist Paul Doughty. Dr. Sharp discusses his work in the field of applied anthropology, his fieldwork in Australia, his studies of the Quechua dialect, and the people and events that were influential in his career including A.R. Radcliffe-Brown, John Adair, and John Mora.
Legacy Keywords: Adair, John ; Radcliffe-Brown, A.R. ; Mora, John ; Anthropology applied anthropology ; War World War II ; Universities Cornell University ; Universities Harvard University ; Language Quechua ; Australia ; Special Collections
General:
Local Number: HSFA 1989.10.18
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Video Dialogues in Anthropology, Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Video oral history of anthropologist Conrad Arensberg conducted by anthropologist Lambros Comitas. Dr. Arensberg, the first anthropologist to do fieldwork on the European continent, comments on his training in anthropology, the individuals who were influential in his career, and the geographical areas where he conducted his fieldwork.
Legacy Keywords: Boas, Franz, 1858-1942 ; Radcliffe-Brown, A.R. ; Malinowski, Bronislaw ; Steward, Julian Haynes, 1902-1972 ; Universities Columbia University ; Anthropology applied anthropology ; War World War II ; Anthropology community studies ; Special Collections ; Ireland ; Europe ; China ; Special Collections
General:
Local Number: HSFA 1989.10.19
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Video Dialogues in Anthropology, Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Video oral history of anthropologist Lambros Comitas, Director of the Research Institute for the Study of Man, conducted by anthropologist H. Russell Bernard. Dr. Comitas discusses his work in anthropology as a Caribbeanist and his studies at Columbia University and comments on those who were influential in his career including Margaret Mead, M.G. Smith, and Vera Rubin.
Legacy Keywords: Harris, Marvin, 1927-2001 ; Kimbel, Sol ; Mead, Margaret, 1901-1978 ; Murphy, Robert ; Rubin, Samuel ; Rubin, Vera ; Wagley, Charles, 1913- ; Arensberg ; Smith, M.G. ; Universities Columbia University ; Anthropology applied anthropology ; Universities Teachers College ; War World War II ; Caribbean ; Jamaica ; Bolivia ; Special Collections ; North America ; United States ; Florida
General:
Local Number: HSFA 1989.10.20
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Video Dialogues in Anthropology, Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The Priscilla Reining papers, 1916-2007, primarily document the professional life of Reining, a social anthropologist and Africanist who worked for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) from 1974 to 1989. Her area of specialty was sub-Saharan Africa, specializing in desertification, land tenure, land use, kinship, population, fertility, and HIV/AIDS. During the 1970s, she pioneered the use of satellite imagery in conjunction with ethnographic data. She is also known for her ground-breaking research in the late 1980s that showed that uncircumcised men were more susceptible to contracting HIV/AIDS than circumcised men.
The collection contains correspondence, field research, research files, writings, day planners, teaching files, student files,
photographs, maps, sound recordings, and electronic records. Reining's research files, particularly on the Red Lake Ojibwa, the Haya, HIV/AIDS, and satellite imagery, form a significant portion of the collection.
Scope and Contents:
These papers primarily document the professional life of Priscilla Reining. The collection contains correspondence, field research, research files, writings, day planners, teaching files, student files, photographs, maps, sound recordings, and electronic records.
Reining's research files, particularly on the Red Lake Ojibwa, the Haya, HIV/AIDS, and satellite imagery, form a significant portion of the collection. Her consultancy work is also well-represented, as well as her involvement in a large number of professional organizations. The collection also contains a great deal of material relating to her work on different programs and projects at AAAS, including the Committee on Arid Lands, Ethnography of Reproduction Project, and Cultural Factors in Population Programs. Also present in the collection are materials from her time as Urgent Anthropology Program Coordinator at the Smithsonian Institution, her files as an instructor and professor, and her files as a student at University of Chicago. Materials from her personal life can also be found in the collection, such as correspondence and childhood mementos.
Arrangement:
The Priscilla Reining papers are organized in 13 series: 1. Correspondence, 1944-2007; 2. Research, 1955-1970; 3. AAAS, 1971-1990; 4. Professional Activities, 5. 1957-2007; Daily Planners and Notebooks, 1960-2002; 6. Writings, 1952-1996; 7. Smithsonian Institution, 1964-1971; 8. University, 1958-1994; 9. Student, 1937-1975; 10. Biographical and Personal Files, 1934-2004; 11. Maps, 1916-1989, undated; 12. Photographs, circa 1950-1987, undated; 13. Electronic records.
Biographical / Historical:
Priscilla Copeland Reining was a social anthropologist and Africanist who worked for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) from 1974 to 1989. Her area of specialty was sub-Saharan Africa, specializing in desertification, land tenure, land use, kinship, population, fertility, and HIV/AIDS. During the 1970s, she pioneered the use of satellite imagery in conjunction with ethnographic data. She is also known for her ground-breaking research in the late 1980s that showed that uncircumcised men were more susceptible to contracting HIV/AIDS than circumcised men.
Reining was born on March 11, 1923 in Chicago, Illinois. She studied anthropology at University of Chicago, where she earned both her A.B. (1945) and Ph.D. (1967) in anthropology. During her graduate studies, she studied peer group relations among the Ojibwa of the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota (1947, 1950-51). Her husband, Conrad Reining, accompanied her to the field, an experience that inspired him to also become an anthropologist.
In 1951-53 and 1954-55, Reining conducted fieldwork among the Haya of Bukoba District, Tanganyika (now known as Tanzania) as a Fellow of the East African Institute of Social Research. While research for her dissertation focused on the agrarian system of the Haya, Reining also conducted fertility surveys for the East African Medical Survey, studying the relationship between STDs and fertility in Buhaya and Buganda. During the 1980s, Reining became interested in AIDS when she observed that the Haya were dying from the disease at a much higher rate than neighboring groups. When she learned of a possible link between circumcision and the spread of HIV, she drew a map of circumcision practice among the ethnic groups of Africa and found that uncircumcised men were 86% more likely to contract HIV than circumcised men. These results were published in "The Relationship Between Male Circumcision and HIV Infection in African Populations" (1989), which she coauthored with John Bongaarts, Peter Way, and Francis Conant.
Beginning in the 1970s, Reining began exploring the use of satellite imagery in ethnographic research. In 1973, she used Landsat data to identify individual Mali villages, the first use of satellite data in anthropology (Morán 1990). That same year, as a consultant for USAID, she also used ERTS-1 imagery to estimate carrying capacity in Niger and Upper Volta (now known as Burkino Faso). She continued to apply satellite data in her research throughout her career, including in 1993, when she returned to Tanzania to study the environmental consequence of population growth and HIV/AIDS among the Haya.
In 1974, Reining joined the Office of International Science of AAAS as a research associate. She stayed on to become Project Director for the Cultural Factors in Population Programs and to direct a number of projects under the Committee on Arid Lands. She also served as Project Director of the Ethnography of Reproduction project, for which she conducted fieldwork in Kenya in 1976. In 1990, she left AAAS for an appointment as Courtesy Professor of African Studies at University of Florida.
Prior to working for AAAS, Reining worked at the Smithsonian Institution (1966, 1968-70), during which she was the coordinator for the Urgent Anthropology Program in the now defunct Center for the Study of Man. She also taught at University of Minnesota (1956-59), American University (1959-60), and Howard University (1960-64). In addition, she worked as a consultant for various organizations, including Department of Justice, Peace Corps, International Bank for Reconstruction & Development (IBRD), Food and Agriculture Organization, and Carrying Capacity Network.
Reining was also actively involved in various organizations. She served as Secretary of the AAAS Section H (Anthropology) and was a founding member of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) Task Force on AIDS. She was also a fellow of the African Studies Association, AAA, AAAS, East African Academy, Society for Applied Anthropology, and Washington Academy of Science. In 1990, she was honored with a Distinguished Service Award from AAA.
Reining died of lung cancer at the age of 84 on July 19, 2007.
Sources Consulted
PR Vita. Series 10. Biographical and Personal Files. Priscilla Reining Papers. National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Morán, Emilio F. 2000. The Ecosystem Approach in Anthropology: From Concept to Practice. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan. Page 359
Schudel, Matt. 2007. Anthropologist Broke Ground on AIDS, Satellite Mapping. Washington Post, July 29. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/28/AR2007072801190.html (accessed December 8, 2011).
1923 -- Born March 11 in Chicago, Illinois
1944 -- Marries Conrad C. Reining
1945 -- Earns A.B. from University of Chicago
1947, 1950-51 -- Conducts field research on the Ojibwa of Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota.
1949 -- Earns A.M. from University of Chicago
1951-1953, 1954-1955 -- Field research on Haya of Tanzania
1967 -- Earns Ph.D. from University of Chicago
1972 -- Returns to Tanzania for IBRD consultancy work
1974 -- Begins working at AAAS as a research associate in the Office of International Science
1975 -- Project Director, AAAS
1976 -- Field research on Kikuyu of Kenya for Ethnography of Reproduction
1986-89 -- Program Director, AAAS
1990 -- Courtesy Professor of African Studies at University of Florida Receives Distinguished Service Award from AAA
1993 -- Field research in Tanzania studying environmental consequences of population growth and HIV/AIDS among the Haya
2007 -- Dies of lung cancer at the age of 84 on July 19
Related Materials:
Additional materials at the NAA relating to Priscilla Reining can be found in the papers of Gordon Gibson and John Murra, as well as in the records of the Center for the Study of Man and the records of the Department of Anthropology. Photo Lot 97 contains two Haya photos taken by Reining that are not duplicated in this collection. The papers of her husband, Conrad Reining, are also at the NAA.
The archives of the American Association for the Advancement of Science also holds Reining's papers relating to her work for the organization.
Provenance:
These papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by Priscilla Reining's sons, Robert Reining and Conrad Reining, in 2009.
Restrictions:
The Priscilla Reining papers are open for research.
Some materials from the East African Medical Survey and Ethnography of Reproduction project contain personal medical history and are thus restricted. Grant applications sent to Reining to review are also restricted as well as her students' grades, and recommendation letters Reining wrote for her students. Electronic records are also restricted.
A small portion of the materials relating to Reining's Haya research, Ethnography of Reproduction project, and IBRD ujamaa research suffered severe mold damage. These materials have been cleaned and may be accessed. The legibility of some of the documents, however, is limited due to water and mold stains. Mold odor is also still present.
Indian Personality, Education and Administration Research Project Search this
Saint Mary's University (Halifax, N.S.). Institute of Human Values Search this
United States. Office of Indian Affairs Search this
Extent:
27 Linear feet (50 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Place:
Germany
Guam
Fiji
Iceland
Date:
1905-1997
Summary:
The papers of Laura Thompson reflect the professional and personal life of an active and pioneering anthropologist. In the 1930s, Thompson began her work in applied anthropology, producing studies of Fiji, Guam and Hawaii intended to aid administrators of economic, educational and political development and pioneering approaches now known as "administrative" and "educational" anthropology. In the 1940s, Thompson applied her skills to the Indian Personality, Education and Administration Research Project, a study of eleven communities of five Native American tribes. From the 1950s until the end of her career, Thompson sought to formulate and demonstrate a theoretical anthropological synthesis of man and culture, while pursuing fieldwork in Iceland and Germany, teaching, and consulting for numerous institutions.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Laura Thompson reflect the professional and personal life of an active and pioneering anthropologist. In the 1930s, Thompson began her work in applied anthropology, producing studies of Fiji, Guam and Hawaii intended to aid administrators of economic, educational and political development and pioneering approaches now known as "administrative" and "educational" anthropology. In the 1940s, Thompson applied her skills to the Indian Personality, Education and Administration Research Project, a study of eleven communities of five Native American tribes. From the 1950s until the end of her career, Thompson sought to formulate and demonstrate a theoretical anthropological synthesis of man and culture, while pursuing fieldwork in Iceland and Germany, teaching, and consulting for numerous institutions.
Included in this collection are field diaries, numerous manuscripts and lectures, research materials, correspondence, sound recordings and ethnographic photographs. Also included are various subject and index files maintained by Thompson for her many research projects. The collection is particularly rich in unpublished manuscripts that Thompson created from 1950 to the mid 1990s. Manuscript topics include particular field sites, such as Fiji and West Germany, as well as Thompson's critical and theoretical exposition regarding the future of applied anthropology, variously titled "Clinical" and "Holistic Anthropology."
Numerous materials pertaining to Thompson's personal life are also located in the collection, including personal diaries and professional awards, correspondence with friends and family, and personal photographs of Thompson from infancy to old age. Located in Thompson's personal papers are her writings from late in life, in which she addressed aging through her anthropological sensibilities, recorded formative memories from her youth, and projected the future of a world rife with injustice and environmental destruction.
A large portion of the Laura Thompson papers include documents from the Indian Personality, Education and Administration (IPEA) Project, initiated by the Office of Indian Affairs and the University of Chicago Committee on Human Development. This investigation of five Native American tribes includes the results of over 1000 psychological studies of native children. Materials included encompass the protocols for and implementation of the project, as well as field reports, psychological tests, correspondence, worker supervision reports and final analyses of findings. Included is a copy of the project's published final report, Personality and Government (1951). The bulk of the records date between 1941and 47; related material spans as late as 1992. Correspondents primarily include project members and consultants, particularly: John Collier, A. I. Hallowell, Maud Hallowell, Royal Hassrick, Robert Havinghurst, Alice Joseph, Bruno Klopfer, Clyde Kluckhohn, Dorothea Leighton, D'Arcy McNickle, Trude Schmidl-Waehner, Heinrich Schultz, Ruth Underhill, and W. Lloyd Warner. The papers of the IPEA Project are restricted in use.
Additional material in the NAA relating to the IPEA Research Project can be found in the following collections: Indian Personality and Administration Research Project Papers, donated by Robert J. Havighurst, and the Dorothea Cross Leighton papers. A list of publications resulting from findings of the project can be found in the Thompson collection accession folder.
Nearly absent from the collection are materials reflecting Thompson's fieldwork in Hawaii, her marriages to Bernhard Tüting and John Collier, and manuscripts of her early publications.
Correspondents in Thompson's papers include:
Ruth BENEDICT,
Charles W. COLLIER,
John COLLIER,
Malcolm COLLIER,
Cora DUBOIS,
Fred EGGAN,
Alfred EMERSON,
Kenneth EMORY,
Frederick V. FIELD,
Roland W. FORCE,
Derek FREEMAN,
Ann Pinson GILL,
Peggy GOLDE,
A. I. HALLOWELL,
Maude HALLOWELL,
Royal HASSRICK,
Robert HAVINGHURST,
Alice JOSEPH,
Felix KEESING,
Lawrence KELLY,
Bruno KLOPFER,
Clyde KLUCKHOHN,
A. L. KROEBER,
Harry S. LADD,
Bruno LASKER,
Dorothy LEE,
Dorothea LEIGHTON,
Charles F. LOOMIS,
Katherine LOUMALA,
Robert H. LOWIE,
John R. MACCORMACK,
Bronislaw MALINOWSKI,
D'Arcy MCNICKLE,
Margaret MEAD,
Robert REDFIELD,
Trude SCHMIDL-WAEHNER,
Heinrich SCHULTZ,
Leslie SPIER,
George D. SPINDLER,
Rebecca STEVENSON,
Ratu J. L. V. SUKUNA (District Commissioner of Lau),
Alfred TOZZER,
W. Lloyd WARNER and
Alvin WOLFE.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Arrangement:
Arranged in 11 series: (1) Fiji, 1933-1995; (2) Germany, 1934-1991; (3) Guam, 1938-1996; (4) Indian Personality, Education and Administration Research Project, 1941-1992; (5) Iceland, 1952-1981; (6) Institute of Human Values, 1973-1982; (8) Manuscripts and research, 1935-1994; (9) Professional correspondence, 1943-1992; (10) Publications, 1932-1991; (11) Personal Papers, 1905-1997.
Biographical Note:
Laura Thompson (1905-2000) conducted fieldwork in Oceania, the Southwestern United States and Europe; she taught at numerous institutions and served as a consultant for many organizations, including the Naval Government of Guam and the Office of Indian Affairs, throughout her career. Thompson's papers reflect her involvement in each of these activities as well as her desire to formulate a unifying theory of applied anthropology that would address issues including environmentalism and overpopulation.
1905 -- Born in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 23.
1923 -- Graduated from Punahou Academy, Hawaii.
1927 -- Bachelor of Arts, Mills College, California.
1928 -- Graduate studies in anthropology, Radcliffe College and Harvard University, Massachusetts.
1929-33 -- Graduate studies in anthropology, University of California, Berkeley.
1942-44 -- Consultant, U. S. Office of Indian Affairs.
1946 -- Papago Indians, fieldwork.
1946-54 -- Research consultant, Institute of Ethnic Affairs (Washington DC and New York).
1952 -- Iceland, fieldwork.
1954-56 -- Professor of Anthropology, City College of New York.
1957-58 -- Visiting Professor of Anthropology, University of North Carolina.
1958-59 -- Research fellow, Laboratories of Anthropology, University of North Carolina.
1959-60 -- Visiting Professor, North Carolina State College.
1960 -- Iceland, fieldwork.
1961 -- Visiting professor, Utah State University (summer). Distinguished Visiting Professor, Pennsylvania State University.
1961-62 -- Professor of Anthropology, University of Southern Illinois.
1962 -- Visiting Professor, University of Hawaii (summer).
1962-63 -- Professor of Anthropology, San Francisco State College.
1964 -- Lecturer, Brooklyn College, CUNY.
1974 -- Honorary Ll.D., Mills College, CA.
1976 -- Board of Governors, Institute of Human Values, St. Mary's University, Halifax.
1977 -- Ancient Order of the Chammori (Honor for public service in Guam).
1979 -- Malinowski Award, Society for Applied Anthropology.
1985 -- Returned to Hawaii.
2000 -- Died January 29.
Related Materials:
Additional material in the NAA relating to the IPEA Research Project can be found in the following collections: Indian Personality and Administration Research Project Papers, donated by Robert J. Havighurst, and the Dorothea Cross Leighton papers. A list of publications resulting from findings of the project can be found in the Thompson collection accession folder.
Provenance:
Thompson's papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by the creator periodically over 25 years.
Restrictions:
Portions of the collection, in particular materials from the Indian Personality, Education and Administration Research Project, are restricted in use.
Access to the Laura Thompson papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact repository for terms of use.
Citation:
Laura Thompson papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Smalley was a prolific writer, who wrote extensively on linguistics, applied
anthropology, Bible translation, Southeast Asia, and missionary work. A large number of reprints of his articles and reviews that he wrote are present in this series. In addition to his publications, this series contains drafts and research for his writing projects and reviews of his books.
Correspondence relating to his publications is in Series 1: Correspondence. His earlier writings as a college student are located in Series 8: Houghton College.
Arrangement:
This series is arranged in 3 sub-series: (5.1) Drafts, 1963-1995; (5.2) Publications, 1949-1997; (5.3) Reviews of Smalley's Books, 1990-1996
Collection Restrictions:
Three tape recordings and the associated transcripts of the interviews that Smalley conducted for his research on the Pahawh Hmong script are restricted until 2040.
Access to the William A. Smalley papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
William A. Smalley papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The Indian Personality, Education and Administration Research Project was supported jointly by the Office of Indian Affairs and the University of Chicago Committee on Human Development. Initiated in 1941 by Indian Affairs Commissioner John Collier, the study investigated eleven communities of five Native American tribes: Hopi, Navaho, Papago, and United Pueblos. The project studied Native Americans as both individuals and as tribal societies, with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of Indian Service policies and programs, improving Indian welfare and developing local autonomy. Thompson coordinated the project; at Chicago, the Indian Education Research Committee, headed by W. Lloyd Warner, was charged with the investigation's scientific work. When the University of Chicago withdrew from the program, they were replaced by the Society for Applied Anthropology. This series reflects much of the work of the IPEA project from its inception in 1941 through its termination in 1947; also included are materials that post-date the study as participants collaborated on investigational analyses. Materials are divided into the following subseries, based upon Thompson's original arrangement of the materials: general correspondence; subject file; interviews; Rorschach monograph; free drawing test; pilot study - Papago Reservation; Hopi materials; publications; and retrospective manuscripts and correspondence. All but the last subseries are restricted. See each subseries section for a description of contents.
Arrangement note:
Materials divided into subseries based upon document type, alphabetically therein. Correspondence and publications filed chronologically. Dates non-inclusive.
Restrictions:
Restricted
Collection Rights:
Contact repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Laura Thompson papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
