Papers of Thurman Paul McCollister, White Mountain, Alaska, 1925-1929

Collection

Identifier: MS 139

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The papers consist of one medium, three-ring notebook dictionary, arranged alphabetically by English word or terms followed by Inupiaq expression or word, phonetically rendered. Some special and/or related terms are grouped at the end of the volume. One final page is a "List of School Children at Council, 1912". The twenty photographs include views of White Mountain and Council, Alaska, the graduating classes of 1928 and 1929, and Mr. McCollister and other U.S. Government educators.

Dates

1925-1929

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is unrestricted.

Conditions Governing Use

Requests for permission to publish material from the collection must be discussed with the Librarian. Photocopying does not constitute permission to publish.

Biographical / Historical

Thurman Paul McCollister, was born in Danville, Virginia, on March 28, 1885, and graduated from the local high school in 1899. After graduating from New Mexico Normal University in 1924, he taught woodworking and industrial education for the Northern District of the U.S. Bureau of Education and was stationed at the Native American boarding school in White Mountain, Alaska from 1925 through 1929. During his time there, he developed a very extensive dictionary for Inupiaq. Mr. McCollister left Alaska in 1929 and went on to teach in Texas and New Mexico. He died in Rozwell, New Mexico on September 3, 1963.

Extent

0.2 Linear Feet (3 folders) : 1 notebook, 20 black and white photographs

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Virgil Henry, a friend of Mr. McCollister, donated the papers to the library July 14, 1994. In August 1994 Mr. Henry donated 20 photographs to add to the collection. Acc. #1994-016.

Processing Information

Photographs were removed from original black scrapbook pages. Six poor quality or damaged photographs were discarded.

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title: Finding Aid for the Papers of Thurman Paul McCollister, White Mountain, Alaska, 1925-1929
Status: In Progress
Author: Processed by: Kay Shelton, Aug. 1994; Updated by: Jacki Swearingen, June 2019; ArchivesSpace Finding Aid by: Jacki Swearingen
Date: 2019 June
Description rules: Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description: Undetermined
Script of description: Code for undetermined script
Language of description note: English