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Martin Biddle Director's Office records
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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives [Contact Us]3260 South Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104-6324
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Martin Biddle was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School and at Pembroke College, Oxford, attaining B.A. and M.A. degrees. Following military service as a 2nd Lieutenant/Lieutenant in the Royal Tank Regiment, Biddle was employed as an Inspector of Monuments for the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works before accepting a position to lecture in Medieval Archaeology at the University of Exeter and as a fellow at Old Souls College, Oxford.
Biddle served as Director at the Winchester Research Unit of the Winchester Excavations Committee before accepting the position as Director of the University Museum in 1977. He also was appointed Professor in the Department of Archaeology at Penn with secondary appointments in the departments of History, History of Art and American Civilization and in the Graduate Groups of Classical Archaeology and Religious Studies.
Biddle was a member of many archaeological and antiquarian societies in both Britain and the United States. He worked and supervised digs in England and the Middle East in his specialty, Urban Archaeology. He published extensively in England and in America.
Biddle remained Director until 1981 when his resignation was requested by the University President.
Martin Biddle served as Director at the Winchester Research Unit of the Winchester Excavations Committee before accepting the position as Director of the University Museum in 1977. He also was appointed Professor in the Department of Archaeology at Penn with secondary appointments in the departments of History, History of Art and American Civilization and in the Graduate Groups of Classical Archaeology and Religious Studies. He remained Museum Director until 1981.
The Martin Biddle Administrative records consist of forty archival boxes of materials. The files are organized in two series; alphabetical and chronological and some of the records may overlap with the previous Director, Froelich Rainey and Biddle's successor, Robert Dyson. The alphabetical files contain mainly correspondence, administrative records and information regarding exhibitions. The chronological files date from May 1978 to June 1981.
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA MUSEUM
University Archaeological Association (1889–1899) First President Joseph Leidy President William Pepper, Jr. 1893–1897
Board of Managers, Department of Archaeology and Palaeontology / Free Museum of Science and Art President Charlemagne Tower, Jr. elected Jan 14, 1892 resigned Oct 9, 1894 President William Pepper, Jr. elected Oct 9, 1894 died Aug 3, 1898 President Daniel Baugh acting Aug 3, 1898 elected Jun 22, 1899 President Justus C. Strawbridge elected Jan 19, 1901 resigned 1903 President Sara Yorke Stevenson elected Jan 15, 1904 resigned Feb 24, 1905 President Samuel F. Houston acting Mar 17, 1905 elected Jan 19, 1906 1910
Directors of the University of Pennsylvania Museum Stewart Culin Jun 1, 1892–Jun 28, 1899 George Byron Gordon Feb 1, 1910–Jan 30, 1927 Jane M. McHugh (Acting) 1927–1929 Horace H. F. Jayne 1929–1940 George C. Vaillant 1941–1945 Marian Angell Godfrey (Acting) 1945–1947 Froelich G. Rainey 1947–1976 James B. Pritchard (Acting) 1976–1977 Martin Biddle 1977–1981 Robert H. Dyson (Acting) 1981-1982 Robert H. Dyson 1982–1994 Jeremy A. Sabloff 1994–2004 Richard M. Leventhal 2004-2006 Jeremy A. Sabloff (Interim) 2006-2007 Richard Hodges 2007-2012 Julian Siggers 2012-
People
- Biddle, Martin, b. 1937
- Bruckner, Geraldine M., b. 1901-d. 1982
- Craig, Richard T.
- Dyson, Robert H., 1927-
- Rainey, Froelich, Director of the University Museum
- Ralph, Elizabeth K., 1911-2000
Subject
- Classical Architecture
- Excavations (Archaeology)
- University of Pennsylvania MASCA
- What in the World? (television program)
Place
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Jody Rodgers
- Finding Aid Date
- 2/16/2015