Scope and Contents
The Luther Cressman Papers, which span the years 1930-1990, consist of papers, field journals, publications, negatives, and photographs all relating to his work as an anthropologist. The collection documents his years as a professor at the University of Oregon, his involvement with other organizations, and his work after retirement. Many documents in the collection pertain to his research at Fort Rock where he discovered the sagebrush sandals considered to be the oldest known sandals in the world. The material from this research includes correspondence, publications, field notes and slides and photographs. The collection is organized into six series: personal papers, professional papers, publications, field notes, negatives and photographs, and index citation cards.
The Personal Papers series is arranged into two subseries: correspondence and Margaret Mead. The correspondence is arranged alphabetically by general subject and contains incoming and outgoing letters. Researchers will be particularly interested in the Margaret Mead papers, which include media surrounding the controversy over her research in Samoa and an editorial Cressman presented in response.
The Professional Papers series is arranged into seven subseries: correspondence, Fort Rock, John Day Association, National Science Foundation, University of Oregon papers, general papers, and reference articles. The correspondence is organized into two parts, the first alphabetically by name and the second part is general correspondence arranged chronologically. The Fort Rock Cave subseries is especially interesting as this is where Cressman discovered the 9,000 year-old sandals.
The Films series contains five reel-to-reel films: three films documenting Cressman's field work, and two copies of the film, A Search for Vanished People.
The Publication series is arranged into six subseries: A Golden Journey, Klamath Prehistory, Prehistory of the Far West, minor publications, speeches, and publications about Cressman. The first three contain correspondence about publication and working and final drafts of the manuscripts. The publications about Cressman contain newspaper articles written about Luther Cressman.
The Field Notes series is arranged chronologically and contains expense books, notebooks, and loose papers from his field research. The Catlow Caves field book from 1937 has extensive research information regarding his excavations.
The Negatives and Photographs series is arranged into four subseries: negatives and photograph keys, mixed media, negatives, and photographs. The negatives are organized into three different categories: roman numeral, numbered, and general. These are especially interesting and relevant to his fieldwork. The index cards in boxes 17 and 18 provide information about the first two categories of negatives. The other negatives lack descriptions and are labeled as general. They are ordered numerically by a system used before the negatives were donated. The mixed media contains a film showing Luther Cressman's memorial service and audiotapes.
The Index Citation Cards series is arranged first by author and then by state. These cards contain information about reference articles and research locations.
Dates
- 1930-1990
Creator
- Cressman, Luther S., 1897-1994 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Biographical / Historical
Luther Sheeleigh Cressman was born on October 24, 1897 outside of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He began his education at Pennsylvania State University where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1918 majoring in the Classics and minoring in English poetry. He later studied at Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University simultaneously. By 1925 he had been ordained an Episcopalian priest, received his Ph.D. in Sociology with a minor in Anthropology and had married Margaret Mead. In 1927 Margaret Mead met another man and asked for a divorce. The following year he married his life-long wife Dorothy Loch. In 1927 Cressman renounced the ministry and in 1929 took a position as Professor of Sociology at the University of Oregon. Six years later his anthropological research became extensive enough to found the Department of Anthropology. Luther Cressman remained chair of the department from 1935 to his retirement in 1963.
Luther Cressman is known for many accomplishments throughout his career. He helped to organize the University of Oregon's Museum of Natural History and was the founding director of the Oregon State Museum of Anthropology. He is most known for his discovery of the sagebrush bark sandals at Fort Rock in 1938. The sandals were radiocarbon dated from 10,500 to 9,300 years old. In 1950 he founded the Oregon Coast Prehistory Program based on his interest in the prehistoric man and his migrations through Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Cressman's major publications include A Golden Journey, Klamath Prehistory, and Prehistory of the Far West. Among his other numerous accomplishments were a Guggenheim Fellowship, the John Alsop King Fellowship, and the Charles E. Johnson Memorial Award. He continued to be active in his writing and research until his death in 1994.
Extent
12.5 linear feet (27 containers)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Collection includes personal papers, professional papers, publications, field notes, slides and negatives, and reel-to-reel films relating to the career of Luther Cressman (1897-1994), an anthropologist and University of Oregon professor who focused on prehistoric man in Oregon.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into the following series:
Missing Title
- Series I: Personal Papers
- Subseries A: Correspondence
- Subseries B: Margaret Mead
- Series II: Professional Papers
- Subseries A: Correspondence
- Subseries B: Fort Rock
- Subseries C: John Day Association
- Subseries D: National Science Foundation
- Subseries E: University of Oregon Papers
- Subseries F: General Papers
- Subseries G: Reference Articles
- Series III: Publications
- Subseries A: A Golden Journey
- Subseries B: Klamath Prehistory
- Subseries C: Prehistory of the Far West
- Subseries D: Minor Publications
- Subseries E: Speeches
- Subseries F: Publications about Luther Cressman
- Series IV: Field Notes
- Series V: Negatives and Photographs
- Subseries A: Negatives and Photograph Keys
- Subseries B: Mixed Media
- Subseries C: Negatives
- Subseries D: Photographs
- Series VI: Index Citation Cards
- Subseries A: By Author
- Subseries B: By State
Separated Materials
Photographs in this collection are stored separately under call number PH344.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Keisha Janney and Emily Hartsfield.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- Anthropologists -- United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Anthropologists -- United States -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Anthropology Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Archaeologists -- United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Archaeologists -- United States -- Biography Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Archaeologists -- United States -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Colleges and Universities Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Cressman, Luther S., 1897-1994
- Cressman, Luther S., 1897-1994
- Diaries Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Indians of North America -- Oregon -- Antiquities Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mead, Margaret, 1901-1978
- Moving Images Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Native Americans Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Negatives Subject Source: TGM II, Genre and physical characteristic terms
- Oregon Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Oregon -- Antiquities Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Paleo-Indians -- West (U.S.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Photographs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Sound Recordings Subject Source: Archiveswest
- University of Oregon
- Videotapes Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Title
- Guide to the Luther Cressman Papers
- Status
- Complete Description
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Keisha Janney and Emily Hartsfield
- Date
- 2007
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Repository Details
Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository