University of Arizona

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Leland C. Wylan Papers

Thesus, Diana, and Neptune, undated

Leland Clifton Wyman was born in 1897 Livermore Falls, Maine. He got his bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College in 1918 and his Ph. D. degree from Harvard in 1922. He taught experimental and theoretical physiology, sociology, anthropology, American Indian art, and Asiatic art at the Boston College of Liberal Arts. He also directed research work on Navajo ethnology at the Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico. From 1942 to 1946 he served as chairman of the Division of Medical Sciences at Boston University. He spent 40 summers conducting research in the American southwest establishing him as one of the leaders on Navajo research. He was an author of numerous publications in the fields of biology and anthropology. For various years he was the curator of archives at the Museum of Northern Arizona and research associate at the Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art. As part of his research and personal interests he traveled to Asia, Africa, Middle East, and Europe. He died in 1988.

This collection contains personal and professional materials relating to the life and career of Leland C. Wyman. The bulk of the personal series includes correspondence to and from Wyman as well as correspondence between others. General files relating to his personal life include his drawings and sketches and other materials collected by him including a song book, theatre programs, and newspaper clippings. Scrapbooks detail information on sports programs and materials on or about Livermore Falls and Bowdoin College. The professional series includes correspondence as well as general files on museum collections and his teaching files. The collection also contains a large amount of his index card lecture notes. Also present in the collection are numerous essays and publications by Leland Wyman, spanning over 60 years.