The William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology

                                              1020 Export Street, where the Webb Museum is currently located. (November 2022)

The William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology has been in operation since 1931 and is home to many of Kentucky’s archaeological collections. The museum's history begins with the creation of University of Kentucky’s Department of Anthropology in 1927. At the time of its founding, the anthropology department had two professors, William D. Funkhouser and William S. Webb. Their appointment to the department was in addition to their work as professors of zoology and physics, respectively.  

                                                      The Carnegie Library, where the Webb Museum's collections were first held.

The museum was officially founded in 1931. By 1932, Webb and Funkhouser had set up collections from their excavations in what was known as the “old library building”. This was the Carnegie Library, which was later demolished and replaced by the Whitehall Classroom Building. William Haag is listed as the first salaried employee of the Museum in 1935, with the title of custodian. By 1938, Haag is listed as the Museum Curator, making him the first to hold this title. Haag remained in this position until 1949, when he resigned. 

With the beginning of the Works Progress Administration’s (WPA) archaeological projects, the museum quickly ran out of space to hold its collections. A letter from Webb dated 1940 implores then-university president Thomas P. Cooper to grant funding for the construction of a dedicated museum building, citing that their current collection storage was “embarrassing”. However, nothing came of Webb’s attempt at securing more space for the museum. Haag’s departure in 1949 led to a series of brief curators, beginning with Glenn Stille. Stille’s title would change to “Museum Supervisor”, rather than curator. Following Stille, Richard Woodbury is listed as curator in 1951, while Raymond H. Thompson took over the position in 1952. Douglas W. Schwartz was listed as museum director in 1956, he would continue in this position until at least 1965. 

Martha Rolingson became the museum’s first female curator, with her position being listed in 1960. By 1962, she is listed as a “Research Assistant” and was promoted to an instructor within the Anthropology department in 1965. She would further be promoted to Assistant Professor in 1967 and Director of the museum in 1968. During Rolingson’s tenure, Lee H. Hanson is listed as the Research Assistant for the museum in 1963. Meanwhile, in 1966 and 1967, Lafferty Hall, home to the Anthropology Department at UK, underwent renovations for the Museum. In the same year Rolingson became director, 1968, the Museum moved to a location on Vine Street, where it would remain for the next twenty years. Wesley S. Creel was hired as the curator in 1974.  

George R. Milner served as the director and curator from 1984-1986. Following Milner, Mary Lucas Powell took over his dual role in 1986. Powell would oversee the museum’s move to the American building in 1988. Nancy O’Malley was hired as a part-time Collections Manager in 1989, eventually securing a full-time curator position. In 1995, the museum moved again, this time from the American Building to its current location at 1020 Export Street. In 1997 Mary Lucas Powell left the museum. The following year, Sissel Shroeder was hired as director.

Shroeder would remain director until 2000, when James Fenton became acting director. After a year, George Crothers replaced Fenton as acting director, and was hired as the permanent director in 2002. After O’Malley’s retirement in 2018, Lisa Guerre was hired in 2019 as Curator and Lab Manager. 

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