Search

Start Over Creator Butler, Mary, 1903-1970

Main content

Mary Butler Lewis Papers, 1936-1969 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.8 linear foot
Abstract:
Mary Butler Lewis, professionally known as Dr. Butler, was one of a very small group of women archaeologists who worked in the United States during the early 20th century and the first female archaeologist to be awarded a Ph.D. from the Department of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania (1936). She was born on June 23, 1903 in Media, PA and educated at Vassar College, Radcliffe and the University of Pennsylvania. Mary Butler’s professional career was firmly rooted in the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania , where she served as a Research Associate in the American Section from 1940-1970. Her areas of professional interest included Mesoamerican archaeology and northeastern and central United States prehistory, specializing in ceramics and pottery sequences. At the time of her death in 1970, she was the historian-archaeologist for the restoration of the 18th century Morton Mortonson House in Norwood, PA. The Mary Butler Lewis collection spans the period from 1933 to...(see more)

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]

Main content

Works Progress Administration Records, 1935-1943 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.5 linear feet
Abstract:
During the Great Depression President Franklin D. Roosevelt developed New Deal programs to return the country to work through relief projects. The most popular of these was the Works Progress Administration because it provided work for so many Americans. Large numbers were put to work building bridges, roads, public buildings, public parks and airports with nominal salaries subsidized by the federal government. In addition, tens of thousands of artists were funded to create murals and sculpture for public buildings, write plays and music and perform their work for an arts-hungry public. Between 1935 and 1942, the University Museum co-sponsored(with institutions such as the Fairmount Park Commission and the Pennsylvania Commission for the Fine Arts) at least eight Works Progress Administration projects as part of the State-wide Museum Assistance Program. Employee salaries for the WPA/University Museum projects were paid by the WPA; equipment, space, supplies, technical aid, and...(see more)

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]