Call Number: Mss 155, Pc 162, (A.01-31, A.99-82, A.04-105, A.06-47)

Title: C. Thomas Shay fonds.

Dates: 1885-2006.

Extent: 19.22 m of textual records.-- 496 negatives.-- 623 photographs.-- 7 posters.

Biographical sketch: Dr. Creighton Thomas Shay received his B.A. (1960); M.A. (1965); and Ph.D. (1970) from the University of Minnesota in Anthropology. In 1961-62 he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to train and study at the Danish National Museum in Copenhagen. In 1964, he became an instructor in the Extension Division of the University of Minnesota and the following year was appointed an Assistant Professor at Colorado State University. In 1967, Shay took an appointment as a Lecturer at the University of Manitoba, which became an Assistant Professorship in 1970 upon completion of his doctorate. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1972, a rank he held until his retirement in 1993 when he was made a Senior Scholar of the University. Dr. Shay has undertaken research in variety of different areas of anthropology over his career focusing much of his research in ethnobotany and paleobotany in Greece, but more importantly in the northeastern prairies and plains of Canada and the United States, in particular Manitoba and Minnesota. He has published extensively in monographs, refereed journals and local publications. Many of these works were co-authored with his wife, Dr. Jennifer Shay, a former Botany professor at the University of Manitoba and recipient of the Order of Canada for her work on environmental causes. In honour of the contributions that Dr. Shay has made to the University of Manitoba, former students, friends and colleagues established the C. Thomas Shay Scholarship for graduate study in Anthropology in 1993. Dr. Shay was also awarded the Manitoba Prix Award for Heritage Education in 1997. Dr. Shay continues to remain active and his current research interests include human ecology in Western Canada 3000 years ago until 1870; and the human ecology of the Bronze Age in Greece and the Mediterranean.

Custodial history: The fonds was donated to the Department of Archives & Special Collections by C. Thomas Shay in 1999, 2001, 2004, and 2006.

Scope and content: A.99.82, A.01-31 accessions consist of biographical information, correspondence with associates, material from the conferences Dr. C. Thomas Shay attended. The fonds also includes material related to rafferty, Souris Basin Heritage Study; Midea Archaeological Project; Troy Archaeological Project; Jordan Archaeological Project; Eleusis Archaeological Project; Nichoria Archaeological Project; Kommos Archaeological Project. It also contains information about 1996-97 floods in Manitoba and Dr. C. Thomas Shay's personal experiences during the flood 1997. The fonds also includes the collection of maps, photographs and index cards related to the archaeological projects and research The A.04-105 accession is divided into seven series including, Biographical & Family material, Professional correspondence, Academic Material & Reasearch on Mesara, Greece, North Eastern Plains research, the Corn Project, Oversize material & photographs.

A.04-105 accession is divided into seven series. The first contains Biographical & Family information, the second contains Professional Correspondence much of it pertains to financial & retirement information. The bulk of the fonds is held in the next three series, the third contains Academic Material & Research Material on Mesara, Greece, the fourth is research material on the North Eastern Plains & the fifth contains research on the Corn Project . The final two series consist of one oversize document & photographs.

A.06-47 consists of biographical information; a personal family history; personal correspondence; correspondence with associates (2004-2005); research projects, notes, and family history photographs.

Restrictions: Some grant applications & financial material has been restricted.

Finding aids available:

Mss 155, Pc 162 (A.99-82, A.01-31)

Mss 155, Pc 162 (A.04-105)

Mss 155, Pc 162 (A.06-47)