Florence Hawley Ellis Papers

Biographical Sketch

Florence May Hawley was born in 1906, in Cananea, Sonora, Mexico. Labor unrest in Cananea helped spark the Mexican Revolution, and in 1913 her family moved to Miami, Arizona.

Miss Hawley attended the University of Arizona, where she majored in English and minored in anthropology, receiving an A.B. in 1927. A year later, she received her M.A. from the same school, submitting a thesis titled "Pottery and Cultures of the Middle Gila." She received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1934, based on her research at Chetro Ketl. Her teaching careeer spanned the University of Arizona (from 1928 to 1933), the University of Chicago (half a year each year, from 1937 to 1942), and the University of New Mexico (from 1934 to 1971).

On marrying Bruce Ellis, Dr. Hawley took her husband's last name.

After her nominal retirement in 1971, Dr. Ellis worked at Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu and did extensive studies in support of Pueblo land claims. She died in 1991.

In 1977, Dr. Ellis summarized her previous archaeological career as follows:

I have directed field schools for the Univ. of New Mexico: 1948, 1949, and for 3 seasons in the early 1950s at San Gabriel del Yungue at San Juan, for 5 seasons in the 1950s and '60s at Sapawe near El Rito, in 1971 at Tsama on the Chama, and sice then for Ghost Ranch a number of sessions in Gallina mountain sites and in 1975 and 1976 on Gallina village sites. Before directing field schools I worked with the Univ. of Ariz. in excavations in summers and then with the Univ. of New Mexico in the Chaco where I spent 11 seasons at tree-ring collecting and research, excavations, and directing laboratory work.

As was more common at the time, Dr. Ellis's expertise encompassed ethnological as well as archaeological issues. After her retirement from UNM, she served repeatedly as an expert witness for Pueblo land claims. Her ties to the Pueblo world involved personal friendships as well as professional study.


Sources

Maxwell Museum Catalogue No. 2010.1.30, documents and correspondence relating to an archaeological permit for mechanical excavation work at Butt's Ranch.


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