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COLLECTION Identifier: 2001.19

Milton Katz field journals for the Wulsin Expedition

Overview

Milton Katz original diary documenting travels in Africa with Harvard African Expedition; anthropological field notes; itinerary; Pygmy vocabulary notes.

Dates

  • Creation: 1927-1928

Conditions Governing Access

Restrictions on access: none

Conditions Governing Use

Restrictions on use: none

Extent

.25 linear feet (2 field notebooks)

The collection consists of two field composition notebooks. The first notebook is a diary of the Wulsin expedition to Africa. Begun on November 28, 1927, Katz writes, "On this day, at Wulsin's request, I commence a journal of our trip. He esteems a personal journal of this order above the standardized anthropological data I may gather as his assistant." The second composition notebook contains pygmy vocabulary that "Wulsin collected at Gombari through a Negro who spoke Swahili and Bongalla, as well as French."

Biographical Sketch

Milton Katz was a teacher and scholar of international law at Harvard Law School and former administrator of the United States Marshall Plan in Europe, a position which established his international reputation. Katz joined the Law School in 1939 and served as the Henry L. Stimson Professor of Law from 1954 to 1978. During one of his leaves of absence for government service, Katz served as Ambassador and Special United States Representative in Europe (early 1950;s), succeeding W. Averell Harriman.

Between graduating from Harvard College and attending Harvard Law School, Milton Katz accompanied Frederick R. Wulsin and Patrick T. L. Putnam on an expedition to Africa (1927-1928) sponsored by the Bureau of International Research of the Laura Spelman Rockefeller fund. Its purpose was to search for archaeological material in the Sudan which might provide information on the movement of populations there, and the study of pygmies.

Sources:

  1. " Question As To Origin of SmokingSuggested by Harvard Studies." The Kingston Daily Freeman, December 1,1928.
  2. Saxon, Wolfgang. "Milton Katz, Teacher, Dies at 87." NewYork Times, August 11, 1995.

Physical Location

Peabody Museum Archives

Immediate Source of Acquisition

2001.19

These papers are a gift of Vivian Katz, 2001

Related Peabody Museum Collections:

  1. #56-55 Wulsin, Frederick Roelker and Janet Elliott Wulsin Papers, 1921-1924
  2. #56-55 Frederic R. Wulsin Photograph Collections [National Geographic Expedition toCentral China; negatives from F. Wulsin's expedition to Africa; negatives of Persia; negatives ofVietnam and Laos] Papers.
  3. #2001.7 Wulsin, Frederic Roelker Papers.
  4. #63-25 Putnam, Patrick Tracy Lowell, 1904-1953. Papers,1930-1950

General note

Collections records may contain language, reflecting past collecting practices and methods of analysis, that is no longer acceptable. The Peabody Museum is committed to addressing the problem of offensive and discriminatory language present in its database. Our museum staff are continually updating these records, adding to and improving content. We welcome your feedback and any questions or concerns you may want to share.

Processed by:

Patricia H. Kervick, Associate Archivist October 2011

Title
Katz, Milton, 1907-1995, Field Journals (Wulsin Expedition), 1927-1928: A Finding Aid
Author
Peabody Museum Archives
Language of description
und
EAD ID
pea00072

Repository Details

Part of the Peabody Museum Archives Repository

Papers in the Peabody Museum Archives consist of primary source materials that document the Museum’s archaeological and ethnographic research and fieldwork since its founding in 1866. More than 2,800 feet of archival paper collections contain documents, papers, manuscripts, correspondence, data, field notes, maps, plans, and other historical records that represent diverse peoples from around the world, and which were created or collected by the Museum, its individual affiliates, or related entities. The collections also document the history or provenience, as well as the creation of, many of the Museum’s archaeological and ethnographic collections.

Contact:
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