Guide to the American Ethnological Society records, 1834-1964 NAA Staff 2011 National Anthropological Archives Museum Support Center 4210 Silver Hill Road Suitland 20746 [email protected] http://www.anthropology.si.edu/naa/ Table of Contents Collection Overview ........................................................................................................ 1 Administrative Information .............................................................................................. 2 Arrangement note............................................................................................................ 3 Scope and Contents........................................................................................................ 3 History of the American Ethnological Society.................................................................. 3 Names and Subjects ...................................................................................................... 4 Container Listing ............................................................................................................. 5 Series 1: Early records, 1834-1886......................................................................... 5 Series 2: AES Meetings, 1910-1964........................................................................ 6 Series 3: Officer's reports, 1925-1964................................................................... 10 Series 4: Election Records; Constitutions; and Officer Lists, 1917, 1941, 1949-1959............................................................................................................... 12 Series 5: Officer correspondence, 1924-1964........................................................ 13 Series 6: Membership, 1862-1960......................................................................... 17 Series 7: Publications, 1934-1962......................................................................... 19 Series 8: Financial records, 1902-1962................................................................. 21 Series 9: Miscellany, 1916-1957............................................................................ 24 American Ethnological Society records NAA.2007-11 Collection Overview Repository: National Anthropological Archives Title: American Ethnological Society records Identifier: NAA.2007-11 Date: 1834-1964 Extent: 7 Linear feet (14 boxes) Creator: Eggan, Fred, 1906-1991 Ewbank, Thomas, 1792-1870 Fischell, A. French, Kathrine S. (Kathrine Story), 1922-2006 Aginsky, Bernard W. (Bernard Willard), 1905- Driver, Harold E. (Harold Edson), 1907-1992 Dwight, Theodore F. Goodenough, Ward Hunt Gould, Charles N. Beals, Ralph L. (Ralph Leon), 1901-1985 Fried, Morton H. (Morton Herbert), 1923-1986 Friedl, Ernestine, 1920-2015 Garfield, Viola Edmundson, 1899-1983 Goldfrank, Esther Schiff Squier, E. G. (Ephraim George), 1821-1888 Turner, William W. (William Wadden), 1810-1859 Swadesh, Morris, 1909-1967 American Ethnological Society Woodbury, Natalie Ferris Sampson Thompson, Laura, 1905-2000 Nelson, William Nelson Nelson, N. C. (Nels Christian), 1875-1964 Ray, Verne F. (Verne Frederick), 1905-2003 Parsons, Elsie Worthington Clews, 1874-1941 Steward, Julian Haynes, 1902-1972 Rouse, Irving, 1913-2006 Boas, Franz, 1858-1942 Rhodes, Willard, 1901-1992 Kroeber, A. L. (Alfred Louis), 1876-1960 Smith, Marian W. (Marian Wesley), 1907-1961 Service, Elman R. (Elman Rogers), 1915-1996 Hoebel, E. Adamson (Edward Adamson), 1906-1993 James, Alice G. Keur, Dorothy L. (Dorothy Louise), 1904-1989 Lesser, Alexander, 1902-1982 Macgowan, D. I. McClellan, Catharine Murdock, George Peter, 1897-1985 Benedict, Ruth, 1887-1948 Buckley, S. B. Bunnell, F. H. Page 1 of 24 American Ethnological Society records NAA.2007-11 Codere, Helen F., 1917-2009 Collier, Donald, 1911-1995 Dole, Gertrude Evelyn, 1915-2001 Gulick, William H. Language: English . Summary: The records of the American Ethnological Society (AES) document its activities from its founding in 1842 through the mid-1960s. The American Ethnological Society is the oldest anthropological association in America. It has been interested in publishing and promoting study of different cultures in the Americas from its founding in 1842 to the present. Materials include correspondence, reports, and financial records relating to the administrative functions of the organization. Administrative Information Acquisition Information The treasurer's records dating from 1916 to 1924 were transferred to the archives by the American Museum of Natural History. All other records came to the archives from the American Ethnological Society. Processing Information Collection compiled by John Posniak and Jane Sessa, 1975-1976. Updated by Patricia Penon, 2004. Encoded by Rihoko Ueno, December 2011. Preferred Citation American Ethnological Society records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution Restrictions This collection is stored off-site. Advance notice must be given to view the collection. Restrictions The American Ethnological Society records are open for research. Access to the American Ethnological Society records requires an appointment. Conditions Governing Use Contact the repository for terms of use. Page 2 of 24 American Ethnological Society records NAA.2007-11 Accruals Later accruals, containing the records of treasurers Elise Clews Parsons and N.C. Nelson (1916-1924) and editors Michael Herzfeld (1988-1990), Carol Greenhouse (1998-2002) and perhaps also Virginina Dominguez (2003-2007), are unprocessed. Further accruals are expected. History of the American Ethnological Society The American Ethnological Society is the oldest anthropological association in America. It has been interested in publishing and promoting study of different cultures in the Americas from its founding in 1842 to the present. The American Ethnological Society was founded in 1842 by Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury under Thomas Jefferson and founder of New York University. Early members were doctors, lawyers, businessmen and included Henry Schoolcraft, William Prescott and Theodore Dwight. Meetings were usually held at the home of the President and accounts of missionaries and explorers, who were "corresponding" members, were read. Local papers frequently covered these meetings. The Society published three periodicals in its early years including Transactions which first appeared in 1845. Interest in the Society declined after the Civil War. In 1906 a group of professional anthropologists led by Franz Boas joined the Society and reorganized it, adding the Office of Editor. Since then, the Society has been very active and has had a strong publications program, beginning with a linguistic series begun by Franz Boas. The Society holds annual meetings, usually in the spring at which prominent anthropologists present their findings. In addition to Franz Boas, the Society has included among its members such famous anthropologists as Ruth Benedict, E. Adamson Hoebel, Margaret Mead and Ward Goodenough. Scope and Contents The records of the American Ethnological Society (AES) document its activities from its founding in 1842 through the mid-1960s. The early years of the AES (1840s to 1880) are documented through correspondence, newspaper clippings, and proceedings. The bulk of the collection relates to the administrative functions of the AES from its reorganization in 1906 through 1965 including changes to the constitution and the elections of officers. The offices of Secretary-Treasurer and Editor are well documented through correspondence and reports. There is also a significant amount of correspondence to and from members, financial records, and information on the AES‟ interactions with other organizations such as the American Anthropological Association and the New York Academy of Sciences. Arrangement The material is arranged in the following series: (1) Early records, 1834-1886; (2) AES Meetings, 1910-1964; (3) Reports of the officers, 1925-1964; (4) Election records: Officer lists, constitutions, and amendments, 1917-1959; (5) Office correspondence, 1924-1956; (6) Membership records, 1862-1960; (6) Publication records, 1934-1962; (7) Financial records, 1902-1962; (8) Miscellany, 1860-1957. Page 3 of 24 American Ethnological Society records NAA.2007-11 Names and Subject Terms This collection is indexed in the online catalog of the Smithsonian Institution under the following terms: Subjects: Anthropology Professional associations Names: Indian Personality, Education and Administration Research Project Institute of Human Values United States. Office of Indian Affairs Geographic Names: Fiji Germany Guam Iceland Page 4 of 24 Series 1: Early records American Ethnological Society records NAA.2007-11 Container Listing Series 1: Early records, 1834-1886 5 Inches Correspondence, financial records, newspaper clippings, notes, and ethnological materials including hand drawn maps, vocabularies and hieroglyphics. Box 1 Correspondence, 1867-1886 Box 1 Dwight, Theodore - Correspondence , 1834-1868 Box 1 Ethnology Reports, Map & Notes -- North America, 1835, undated Map from 1835 Box 1 Ethnology Reports & Notes -- other than North America Box 1 Financial Records AES , 1853-1854, 1848-1851 Box 1 Miscellaneous/Unidentified Papers Box 1 Newspaper Clippings, 1849–1865 Box 1 Notes Regarding Meetings, 1849-1880 Box 1 Societies other than AES Return to Table of Contents Page 5 of 24 Series 2: AES Meetings American Ethnological Society records NAA.2007-11 Series 2: AES Meetings, 1910-1964 10 Inches Correspondence and minutes