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Rice University Anthropology Department records

 Collection
Identifier: UA 0234
Finding aid note: Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Scope and Contents

These administrative files of the Rice University Anthropology Department reflect the daily business of the department, including correspondence, conference papers/articles/publications, CVs, research/travel funding requests, student evaluations, hiring and promotional materials, and personnel information. In addition, materials on anthropology syllabi and courses offered are included. This material begins in the 1950s and continues through 2007.

Faculty Files are restricted for privacy reasons, due to the inclusion of personnel information. Please contact the Woodson Research Center at woodson@rice.edu for assistance in accessing these materials.

Dates

  • Creation: 1957 - 2007

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This material is open for research except for the Faculty Files, which contain personnel information. Please contact the Woodson Research Center at woodson@rice.edu for assistance in accessing these files.

Conditions Governing Access

Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish from this material must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center. Contact woodson@rice.edu for assistance.

Biographical/Historical

Although the anthropology department was established at Rice University in 1961, its revitalization and redirection began in 1980. Because of its focus on high-quality, specialized, and creative work within the discipline during this decade, the anthropology department became well-known for both its identity and reputation. Such distinction became evident at the American Anthropological Association meeting in 1984, at which knowledge of Rice's accomplishments were widespread, and in the spring of 1986 when publishers bid vigorously for two volumes produced by Rice's anthropology department. At this time the anthropology department was on par with the small but specialized departments at Duke, Princeton, John Hopkins and Virginia, and the department's candidates were actively pursued by the large graduate departments of Harvard, Michigan, Chicago, and Stanford.

Traditionally the anthropology department was organized around a cultural anthropology core with archaeology and biological anthropology as additional tracks that supported the core. Since then, the social-cultural anthropology program has expanded and focuses on the application of anthropological methods and styles of research to the study of complex societies. Archaeology has become its own prominent track with emphases on the emergence of complex societies and urbanism, settlement studies, origins of food production, the Late Stone Age and Iron Age in Africa, and historical archaeology. Today the department of anthropology's doctoral program offers advanced training in these fields. In addition, students interested in medical anthropology have access to resources of the Texas Medical Center. The national prestige of the anthropology department at Rice continues to flourish.

Extent

8 Linear Feet (16 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

These administrative files of the Rice University Anthropology Department reflect the daily business of the department, including correspondence, conference papers/articles/publications, CVs, research/travel funding requests, student evaluations, hiring and promotional materials, and personnel information. In addition, materials on anthropology syllabi and courses offered are included. This material begins in the 1950s and continues through 2007.

Arrangement

This material has been arranged in three series, including Series I: Courses & Syllabi, Series II: Grants & Project Proposals, and Series III: Faculty Files. Series III: Faculty Files is divided into 7 subseries, all but one organized by the last names of faculty.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This material was transferred to the Woodson Research Center in 2012.

Title
Guide to the Rice University Anthropology Department records, 1957-2007
Status
Completed
Author
Ann Cochran
Date
2012
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository

Contact:
Fondren Library MS-44, Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston Texas 77005 USA
713-348-2586