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Ross T. Christensen papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 1716

Scope and Contents

Reflects Ross T. Christensen's service as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil, service in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, career as a professor of archaeology at Brigham Young University, activities as a founding member of the Society for Early Historic Archaeology (SEHA), interest in Book of Mormon archaeology, participation in Leadership Week and Education Week on the BYU campus and elsewhere, and family activities. Includes diaries, correspondence, research papers and field notes, speeches, periodical articles, papers relating to symposia on the archaeology of the scriptures, draft writings, school papers, course materials for classes he taught on archaeology and anthropology, photo scrapbooks, family history records, and a small number of archaeological artifacts. Photographs include family homes in Utah, Idaho, and North Carolina; archaeological sites and artifacts, scenery, family members, and friends. Also contains slides, an audio recording, cameras, and other photographic equipment. Dated 1939 to 1990.

Dates

  • 1939-1990

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Photographs and camera equipment (boxes 49-58) are not fully processed; see curator of photographs for access. The remainder of the collection is open for public research. Series 37-44 Privacy restricted until 2018; permission to use materials must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to use material from this collection must be obtained from Reference Services at specialcollections@byu.edu.

Biographical / Historical

Ross T. Christensen was born August 28, 1918, in Preston, Idaho to Henry Oswald and Nettie Lavina Taylor Christensen. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil from 1939 to 1942. In 1947, Ross married Ruth Richardson Morris in Mesa, Arizona. He was employed by Brigham Young University as a professor of archeology and anthropology from 1947 to 1979. Much of his research surrounded the Phoenicians. Christensen died January 12, 1990, in Provo, Utah.

Extent

67 boxes (33.5 linear ft.)

1 carton (1 linear ft.)

1 oversize folder (0.2 linear ft.)

1 oversize (1.15 linear ft.)

Language of Materials

English

Other Finding Aids

Finding aid available in repository.

Other Finding Aids

File-level inventory available online. http://files.lib.byu.edu/ead/XML/MSS1716.xml

Custodial History

Dr. Christensen's papers came in three installments: the first from a storage building in 1990, the second from the SEHA archives on campus, and the third from Christiansen's widow, Ruth Christensen.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated; Ross Christensen; 1990.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated; SEHA.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated; Ruth Christensen.

Appraisal

University history (University Archives collecting policy, February 2010).

Processing Information

Processed; Giselle McIntire, student manuscript processor; 2019.

Title
Register of Ross T. Christensen papers
Status
Completed
Author
Garrett Schroath
Date
2011 April 7
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English in Latin script.

Repository Details

Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository

Contact:
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States