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Established in 1929, the University of Michigan Department of Anthropology provides instruction in ethnology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistics, and is consistently ranked among the top academic programs in anthropology in the country. The records include correspondence from James B. Griffin's tenure as chair (1972-1975), meeting minutes, memos and general correspondence, and descriptions of degree requirements and courses.

The University of Michigan Department of Anthropology record group is arranged into five series: Chair Correspondence, Meeting Minutes, Memos and General Correspondence Weekly Bulletin, and Miscellaneous.

Anthropologist; professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan and the City University of New York. The collection is organized into eight series: Biographical; Correspondence; Fieldwork; Courses; Lectures; Publications; Graduate school and other notes; and Political activities.

The Eric Wolf papers include notes and analysis related to his anthropological fieldwork, personal and professional correspondence, as well as course and lecture materials, documenting the many aspects of Wolf's professional life as an anthropologist, instructor, and mentor. The collection is organized into ten series: Biographical, Correspondence, Fieldwork, Early/Unpublished Writing, Courses, Lectures, Publications, Notes, Political Activities, and Other Materials.

James Bennett Griffin was one of the major forces in the development of North American archaeology and served as the director of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Michigan from 1946 to 1975. The papers contain correspondence, extensive research and photograph files on North American archaeological sites, cultures and artifacts, and information on Griffin's writing, professional activities, and teaching within the University of Michigan Department of Anthropology.

The James B. Griffin Papers are a rich source of information about Griffin's life, the history of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, archaeological sites and topics, particularly in North America, and the overall development of the field of North American archaeology from the 1930s to the 1990s. The papers consist of 16 series: Biographical and Personal; Student Years; Correspondence, 1930-1975; Correspondence, 1975-1997; Radiocarbon Laboratory; Teaching and Advising; Conferences and Symposia; Professional Associations and Affiliations; Speaking Engagements; Travel and International Initiatives; Writings and Publications; Hopewell; Topical Files; Archaeological Sites and Projects; North American Archaeology Card Files; and Photographs.

Jeffrey R. Parsons was Curator of Latin American Archaeology and Director of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. He was a professor at the same institution for over forty years starting in 1966 and carried out extensive research on settlement patterns in the basin of Mexico, in Peru, and in many other countries. Parsons is known for his role in the development of systematic settlement survey methods in archaeology, a methodology which has become common in archaeological work around the world. Material includes papers, maps, site surveys, photo negatives, aerial photographs and digital scans of the negatives.

The Jeffrey R. Parsons papers document the archaeologist's research in the Basin of Mexico, his work at the University of Michigan as professor, Curator of Latin American Archaeology, and Director of the Museum of Anthropology, and his work with colleagues and institutions around the world. Materials date from 1960 to 2009 while the bulk of it is from 1966 to 1973. The majority is related to his fieldwork in the Valley of Mexico and includes paper, photographic material, maps, and documentation about materials collected as part of the surveys, such as information on ceramic sherds. The collection is arranged in nine series: Personal Files, Correspondence 1966-2005, Archaeological Sites and Projects, Topical Files, Publications, Student Years, Visual Materials Series, and Maps.

Professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan (1965-1997); chairman of Department of Anthropology (1975-1980); president of American Anthropological Association (1987-1989). Papers include biographical files, correspondence, writings, speeches, lectures, course materials, and files pertaining to various academic programs and environmental projects for which he served as a consultant.

The Roy A. Rappaport papers provide a glimpse into the active life of an internationally renown and intellectually rigorous anthropologist. Organized into seven series, Biographical Files, Correspondence, Writings, Speeches and Lectures, Classes and Teaching, Consulting, and Topical Files, the papers span the years 1959 to 1997. The strength of the collection is in its documentation of Rappaport's professional and teaching activities. Rappaport's interests in environmental issues, religion, and the application of his knowledge and interests to societal issues are also evident in this collection. The researcher should note that certain aspects of Rappaport's professional career (such as his field work in New Guinea and his time as president of the American Anthropological Association) have a very limited coverage within the collection, in part because field notes and material related to the American Anthropological Association were given to other institutions. Rappaport's field notes are located at the University of California San Diego and his correspondence relating to the American Anthropological Association is at the Smithsonian.

Volney H. Jones was a leading ethnobotanist and served as Curator of Ethnology at the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology from 1945 to 1969. The papers include correspondence with ethnobotanists and anthropologists, including Edward F. Castetter and Leslie A. White, administrative files, biographical information on anthropologists, teaching files for Jones' courses within the Department of Anthropology, and notes for unpublished textbooks on ethnobotany. The papers also include correspondence with Chase S. Osborn, Stellanova B. Osborn, and Milo M. Quaife concerning a project to establish a Friends of the Michigan Indian organization, and correspondence and reports from Ted Bank concerning the University of Michigan expeditions to the Aleutian Islands.

The Volney H. Jones Papers include correspondence with ethnobotanists and anthropologists, including Edward F. Castetter and Leslie A. White, administrative files, biographical information on anthropologists, teaching files for Jones' courses within the Department of Anthropology, and notes for unpublished textbooks on ethnobotany. The papers also include correspondence with Chase S. Osborn, Stellanova B. Osborn, and Milo M. Quaife concerning a project to establish a Friends of the Michigan Indian organization, and correspondence and reports from Ted Bank concerning the University of Michigan expeditions to the Aleutian Islands. The Jones papers are comprised of eight series: Correspondence, Administrative Files, Biographies and Bibliographies, Teaching Files, Culture Areas and Ethnobotany Textbook Files, Hopi Research Files and Maize Research.