Author
Finding aid prepared by Processed by Rachel Webb in February 2009 under the supervision of Deirdre A. Scaggs, University Archivist; Finding aid prepared by Rachel Webb in February 2009 under the supervision of Deirdre A. Scaggs, University Archivist.
Title
William S. Webb papers
Date
1919-1961
Repository
University of Kentucky Special Collections
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in three series by subject:
I. Correspondence
i. Department Papers
ii. Archaeological Correspondence
iii. Committee Correspondence
II. Tennessee Valley Authority
III. Personal
Conditions Governing Access note
Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Preferred Citation Note
0000ua210: Item Number, William S. Webb papers, University of Kentucky Archives.
Extent
5.35 Cubic feet
6 boxes
Biography/History
William Snyder Webb was born in Greendale, Kentucky on January 19, 1882 where he spent all of his early years. In 1901, Webb graduated from the University of Kentucky and a year later received his Master’s degree. He immediately began additional graduate work in physics research at Cornell University and later at the University of Chicago. During this time, he became the secretary to the commanding officer of Indian Territory in Oklahoma, where he learned to speak Seminole and launched his interest in Native Americans of prehistoric Kentucky. In 1908, he returned to UK as Assistant Professor of Physics and in 1915 he became head of the department.
In 1926, Professor Webb was appointed head of the newly established Department of Anthropology and Archaeology where he teamed up with Professor Funkhouser to make the department a very active one especially in publishing scholarly works. It was Webb’s vast field experience that the Smithsonian Institute recommended him to coordinate an archaeological program for the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1933.
Despite reaching the retirement age in 1952, Webb continued to publish several works and participate in archaeological research until his death at the age of 82 on February 15, 1964.
Haag, William G. “William Snyder Webb, 1882-1964”. American Antiquity Vol. 30, No 4 (Apr., 1965), 470-73. http://www.jstor.org/stable/277947
Scope and Content
The William S. Webb papers consist largely of correspondence between Webb and several others within and outside of the University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology and Archaeology in regards to classes, books, lists of publications and general, everyday happenings. There are also several reports created by Webb in connection with the Tennessee Valley Authority archaeological program arranged alphabetically by county or archaeological site.
Subjects
- Smithsonian Institution
- Tennessee Valley Authority.
- University of Kentucky. College of Arts and Sciences
- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology
- Fayette County (Ky.)
- Lexington (Ky.)
- Funkhouser, W. D., (William Delbert), 1881-1948
- Snow, Charles E.
- Webb, William S., (William Snyder), 1882-1964
- Anthropology--Kentucky.
- Archaeology--Kentucky.
Related Material
0000ua271: William D. Funkhouser Papers, University of Kentucky Archives.
Collection Inventory
I Correspondence, 1929 - 1959
Scope and Contents note:
The Correspondence series consists of the three subseries divided into subject headings dealing with correspondence. A description of each follows.
i Departmental Papers, 1929 - 1959
Scope and Contents note:
The Department Papers subseries consists of administrative correspondence between Webb and several professors including W.D. Funkhouser, William Haag, and Charles E. Snow. The Funkhouser papers are mostly incoming letters with only a few carbons of the replies. There are also papers on miscellaneous department work including book orders, budgets, schedules, and maintenance. Each folder is arranged alphabetically.
Clippings and Copies of Photographs
[Box: 1, Folder: 1]
President’s Office, 1929-1959
[Box: 1, Folder: 2]
Dean or Vice President of the University
[Box: 1, Folder: 3]
Dean of College of Arts and Sciences, 1928-1959
[Box: 1, Folder: 4]
Departmental Secretary, 1929-1938
[Box: 1, Folder: 5]
Webb - Funkhouser Correspondence, 1924-1947
[Box: 1, Folder: 6]
W.D. Funkhouser, April 1925-October 1929
[Box: 1, Folder: 7]
W.D. Funkhouser, 1930-December 31, 1933
[Box: 1, Folder: 8]
W.D. Funkhouser, January 1934-Decmeber 31, 1936
[Box: 1, Folder: 9]
W.D. Funkhouser, 1937-1947
[Box: 1, Folder: 10]
W.D. Funkhouser Articles, Bibliography, Maps, Newspaper Clippings, etc
[Box: 1, Folder: 11]
W.D. Funkhouser
[Box: 1, Folder: 12]
Webb with William Haag, 1938-1957
[Box: 1, Folder: 13]
Webb with Miscellaneous Departmental Personnel, 1948-1958
[Box: 1, Folder: 14-15]
Webb with Charles E. Snow, 1941-1953
[Box: 1, Folder: 16]
Charles E. Snow, July 1942-September 1943
[Box: 1, Folder: 17]
Charles E. Snow, July 1941-July 1946
[Box: 1, Folder: 18]
Library, 1929-1952
[Box: 1, Folder: 19]
Registrar’s Office, 1928-1952
[Box: 1, Folder: 20]
Maintenance and Operations, 1945-1950
[Box: 1, Folder: 21]
Kobert Collection (Charles B. Kobert), 1936
[Box: 1, Folder: 22]
Reports - Departmental and Museum, 1935-1954
[Box: 1, Folder: 23]
Schedules, 1942-1948
[Box: 1, Folder: 24]
Business Officer or Comptroller, 1935-1958
[Box: 1, Folder: 25]
Book Orders, 1929-1953
[Box: 1, Folder: 26]
Budget, 1941-1946
[Box: 1, Folder: 27]
Invoices - Correspondence about, 1927-31, 1942-1951
[Box: 1, Folder: 28]
Book, etc Reprint, lists and correspondence
[Box: 1, Folder: 29]
ii Archaeological Correspondence, 1924 - 1961
Scope and Contents note:
The Archaeological Correspondence subseries consists of correspondence pertaining to the archaeological projects Webb participated in and those he lead. Correspondence is arranged chronologically and alphabetically.
A-C, D-L, M-Y, 1924-1928
[Box: 2, Folder: 1-3]
A-F, G-L, M-W, 1929-1936
[Box: 2, Folder: 4-6]
Special folder on grants for research, 1930
[Box: 2, Folder: 7]
1931 - December 1934
[Box: 2, Folder: 8]
Fain W. King correspondence, prior to December 1934
[Box: 2, Folder: 9]
A-J, K-Z, December 1934 - July 11, 1935
[Box: 2, Folder: 10-11]
December 1, 1935 - July 1, 1936
[Box: 2, Folder: 12]
A-H, I-W, July 1, 1936 - 1938
[Box: 2, Folder: 13-14]
July 1, 1938 - June 30, 1939
[Box: 2, Folder: 15]
General Correspondence A-J, K-Z, 1937-1940
[Box: 2, Folder: 16-17]
General Archaeological Correspondence A-L, M-Z, 1942-1944
[Box: 4, Folder: 6-7]
General Archaeological Correspondence A-K, L-W, 1944-1945
[Box: 4, Folder: 8-9]
General Archaeological Correspondence, 1946-1947
[Box: 4, Folder: 10]
General Archaeological Correspondence, 1948-1950
[Box: 4, Folder: 11]
General Archaeological Correspondence A-D, E-H, I-N, O-Z, 1951-1959
[Box: 4, Folder: 13-16]
General Archaeological Correspondence, 1960-1961
[Box: 4, Folder: 17]
iii Committee Correspondence, 1935-1959
Scope and Contents note:
The Committee Correspondence subseries consists of correspondence from all the various committees Webb was involved in including the National Research Council and Committee on Monographs.
Adena: Raymond S. Baby, June 1949-March 1959
[Box: 5, Folder: 1]
Adena: Eli Lilly, January 1936-December 1957
[Box: 5, Folder: 2]
Adena: General, January 1935-January 1959
[Box: 5, Folder: 3]
Adena Manuscript (partial)
[Box: 5, Folder: 4]
American Council of Learned Societies
[Box: 5, Folder: 5]
Bureau of American Etinology-Dr. W.W. Stirling, January 1936-December 1941
[Box: 5, Folder: 6]
Guthe, Carl E. National Research Council, Society for American Archaeology
[Box: 5, Folder: 7]
National Research Council - Committee Basic Needs in American Archaeology, 1939
[Box: 5, Folder: 8]
Kentucky Research Foundation, 1945-1957
[Box: 5, Folder: 9]
National Park Services and Kentucky State Parks, 1936-1938, March-July 1941
[Box: 5, Folder: 10]
Newman, Marshall T, December 1938-October 1941
[Box: 5, Folder: 11]
Smithsonian Institution, February 1936-April 1940
[Box: 5, Folder: 12]
Society for American Archaeology - Publications, January 1936-December 1938
[Box: 5, Folder: 13]
Data, July 1935-May 1937
[Box: 5, Folder: 14]
Publications - Miscellaneous correspondence, 1929-January 1950
[Box: 5, Folder: 15]
University Press July 1948-56, Contract 1959
[Box: 5, Folder: 16]
Committee on Monographs, 1929, 1931, 1939, 1941, 1952
[Box: 5, Folder: 17]
Miscellaneous Manuscript Material
[Box: 5, Folder: 18]
Extension Department Correspondence about classes and sale of publications, 1928-1952
[Box: 5, Folder: 19]
II Tennessee Valley Authority, 1933 - 1961
Scope and Contents note:
The Tennessee Valley Authority series consists of reports and correspondence pertaining to archaeological field work in several counties of Kentucky including Fayette, Boone, McLean, and Johnson.
Lewis, Professor T.M.N, December 1935-December 1937
[Box: 3, Folder: 1]
Tennessee Valley Authority (T.V.A.), December 1933-May 30, 1936
[Box: 3, Folder: 2]
Tennessee Valley Authority (T.V.A.), June 1, 1936-December 1936
[Box: 3, Folder: 3]
Tennessee Valley Authority (T.V.A.), January 1937-1949
[Box: 3, Folder: 4]
Tennessee Valley Authority (T.V.A.), Alabama; January 1936-May 1937
[Box: 3, Folder: 5]
Tennessee Valley Authority (T.V.A.) Alabama, June 1, 1937-June 30, 1938
[Box: 3, Folder: 6]
Tennessee Valley Authority (T.V.A.) Alabama, July 1, 1938-1942, 1948-1949
[Box: 3, Folder: 7]
T.V.A. Gilbertsville Dam - Correspondence
[Box: 3, Folder: 8]
Kentucky Archaeological Project, 1942, 1947
[Box: 3, Folder: 9]
T.V.A. Kentucky Site Agreements and WPA material
[Box: 3, Folder: 10]
T.V.A. Miscellaneous financial forms, 1935-1937
[Box: 3, Folder: 11]
Kentucky Archaeological Reports - Quarterly and Monthly
[Box: 3, Folder: 12]
Kentucky Archaeological Reports - Dover Mound Log Book - Summers, 1940, 1941
[Box: 3, Folder: 13]
Kentucky Archaeological Reports - Field Reports - weekly- Boone Co., Bourbon County, 1938-1940
[Box: 3, Folder: 14]
Kentucky Archaeological Reports - Field Reports - weekly-Butter Co
[Box: 3, Folder: 15]
Kentucky Archaeological Reports - Field Reports - weekly-Fayette Co., Greenup Co., Johnson Co
[Box: 3, Folder: 16]
Kentucky Archaeological Reports - Field Reports - weekly-McLean Co., Montgomery Co., Ohio Co
[Box: 3, Folder: 17]
Kentucky Archaeological Reports - Field Reports - weekly-Wolf Creek Dam Site, May 1947-April 1949
[Box: 3, Folder: 18]
Kentucky Archaeological Reports - Reports of Progress by State Supervisors
[Box: 3, Folder: 19]
Kentucky Indian Survey
[Box: 3, Folder: 20]
Kentucky Archaeological Project - Applications, Recommendations, 1937-1941
[Box: 4, Folder: 1]
Kentucky Archaeological Report - Correspondence, June 1937-October 1941
[Box: 4, Folder: 2]
Kentucky Archaeological Report - Correspondence A-C, D-N, P-Z, 1941-1942
[Box: 4, Folder: 3-5]
Carbon Dating James B. Griffin and W.F. Libby, 1949-1953
[Box: 4, Folder: 12]
III Personal, 1910 - 1952 III
Scope and Contents note:
The Personal series consists of subjects that were of interest to Webb as well as correspondence about his personal life. Some of the information deals with The Association of American Physics Teachers that Webb was involved in during the 1940s and 1950s.
Biographical
[Box: 5, Folder: 20]
Family matters
[Box: 5, Folder: 21]
Court Cases
[Box: 5, Folder: 22]
Civil organizations
[Box: 5, Folder: 23]
Distinguished professor - retirement
[Box: 5, Folder: 24]
Special talks to church groups
[Box: 5, Folder: 25]
Lee’s Jr. College
[Box: 5, Folder: 26]
Sayre School
[Box: 5, Folder: 27]
Stamp Collection
[Box: 5, Folder: 28]
UK Alumni
[Box: 5, Folder: 29]
Travel Vouchers and Requests for Absence
[Box: 5, Folder: 30]
Personal, 1931-1932
[Box: 5, Folder: 31-32]
A.A.P.T. Correspondence and Conferences, 1952
[Box: 5, Folder: 33-34]
A.A.P.T. First Year Papers
[Box: 5, Folder: 35]
Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1910-1918
[Box: 6, Folder: 1]
Lists of Publications, 1951
[Box: 6, Folder: 2]
A.A.P.T. Award Committee
[Box: 6, Folder: 3]
A.A.P.T. Correspondence and Conventions, 1952
[Box: 6, Folder: 4-5]
Central Scientific Company
[Box: 6, Folder: 6]
Photographs and Slide - Awards Committee
[Box: 6, Folder: 7]