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This fund was established in memory of William Lawrence to support The University of Arizona's School of Anthropology's American Indian Relations and is aimed at fostering understanding of and respect for the peoples and cultures of Arizona and surrounding regions.

To donate to the American Indian Relations Fund, vist the University of Arizona Foundation School of Anthropology American Indian Relations Fund secure giving page.

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SoA Professor Emeritus Arthur J. Jelinek passed away on January 10, 2022 at the age of 93. Dr. Jelinek joined what was then the Department of Anthropology at the University of Arizona in the Fall of 1967 and became Professor Emeritus in 1993, followed by continuous research and writing until his death. His research interests included U.S. Southwest archaeology and Old World archaeology and he taught a wide range of lecture courses and seminars in archaeology. Summer months were spent excavating Neandertal sites in Israel and France, and numerous students participated in these excavations, receiving hands-on field training to augment their academic programs. Dr. Jelinek firmly believed and frequently counseled that gaining exposure to field situations early in an academic career was essential for archaeologists and important for anthropologists in general. Accordingly, this Student Fieldwork Fund will be used to aid undergraduate and graduate students who wish to pursue fieldwork experiences. Dr. Jelinek was a beloved mentor; an engaging conversationalist with a remarkable range of knowledge; and a connoisseur of life with interests in art, history, music, photography, and cuisine. A complete Professional Vita is available on the SoA Website at https://anthropology.arizona.edu/people/arthur-j-jelinek.

To donate to the Arthur J. Jelinek Fieldwork Fund, visit the University of Arizona Foundation Arthur J. Jelinek Student Fieldwork Fund secure giving page.

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School of Anthropology Professor Emeritus Stephen L. Zegura passed away on May 26, 2019, at the age of 75.

Dr. Zegura joined what was then the Anthropology Department of University of Arizona in Fall 1972 and taught physical anthropology and human genetics there for over forty years. Described as a “consummate scholar and unwaveringly loyal colleague,” he received the 2009-2010 Raymond H. Thompson Award for contributions he made to the School of Anthropology throughout his distinguished career.

Dr. Zegura will long be remembered by his students for the inspiration, challenges, and support he gave them.

A scholarship has been created to honor Dr. Zegura's memory.

To donate to the Stephen L. Zegura Scholarship Fund, visit the University of Arizona Foundation Anthropology Special Projects secure giving page, and in the Notes box please enter "Stephen L. Zegura."

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To donate to the Dr. Jane Hill Endowment, visit the University of Arizona Foundation Anthropology Special Projects secure giving page, and in the Notes box please enter "Dr. Jane Hill."

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The vision for the Clara Lee Tanner Endowed Professorship is a faculty position shared by the School of Anthropology (SoA) and the Arizona State Museum (ASM) at the University of Arizona. The incumbent, using ASM’s collections, would teach, conduct research, publish, and engage with the public on topics related to the indigenous peoples of the U.S. Southwest and northern Mexico, their material culture, and their societies through time.

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The Clara Lee Tanner Endowed Professorship fund was established in 2010 by her husband John Tanner and daughter Sandy Tanner Elers, as a way of honoring the 50-year career of their beloved wife and mother. This shared position will honor Tanner’s legacy in perpetuity.

Clara Lee Tanner: The Grande Dame of Basket Researchers

Clara Lee Tanner (1905-1997) was a respected and beloved professor who served in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Arizona for half a century, from 1928 to 1978. She was, in fact, one of the first two students to earn a bachelor’s degree in archaeology from the university in 1927 and one of the first three students to earn a master’s degree in archaeology in 1928. She is described as having been the authority on Southwest Indian arts and crafts during her lifetime, dedicated to sharing her knowledge through university and public lectures, scholarly and popular publications, and involvement in Native art shows.

Tanner was a prolific researcher and her publications based on ASM’s basketry have helped to make the museum’s collections known throughout the world.

Among Tanner’s 166 published titles is Indian Baskets of the Southwest (University of Arizona Press, 1983). With more than 200 pages and over 500 photos and drawings, it was the first comprehensive study of southwestern Indian basketry, addressing materials, technologies, and designs. Apache Indian Basketry (University of Arizona Press, 1982), with its 200 pages and 300 illustrations, goes into greater depth about one of the most widely appreciated and valued cultural traditions in our region.

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“It is impossible to overestimate the impact, over her 50-year career, that Clara Lee had on the appreciation of Native arts, especially basketry,” said Diane Dittemore, ASM’s associate curator of ethnology. “I was fortunate to have known her, and to have assisted her in selecting the baskets from ASM that were featured in her publications. She has greatly inspired my own basketry research.”

Tanner also was a respected educator. She played a significant role in the expansion of what began as the Department of Archaeology in 1915 into the Department of Anthropology in 1937, teaching courses in Southwest ethnology and archaeology. In addition, according to Dr. Raymond H. Thompson, former head of the department and director emeritus of the museum, Tanner strongly believed that members of the general public deserved just as much as her students to know about the creativity of Native artists. “She had a sense of responsibility to the public and to the community that gave her an almost missionary zeal to introduce the entire world to the beauty, skill, and creativity of Native artists,” Thompson said of Tanner. “She wrote her scholarly books with the general reader in mind, and she published dozens of articles in newspapers and popular magazines, more than 25 in Arizona Highways alone. She gave hundreds of talks to public audiences ranging from the scholarly to the social, and from first graders to senior citizens.”

Tanner’s papers are housed in the ASM archives. They, like almost all of ASM’s collections, are accessible for research and study.

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