Wedel, Waldo R. (1908-1996)

Newton Kansan obituary: 1996 Aug 30 p. 2

Birth date: 1908 Sep 10

text of obituary:

Waldo R. Wedel

BOULDER, Colo.—Waldo R. Wedel, 87, former Newton resident, died Tuesday (Aug. 27, 1996) at the Frasier Meadows Manor Health Care Center in Boulder, Colo.

He was born Sept. 10, 1908, in North Newton to Peter J. Wedel and Lena Krehbiel Wedel. He married Mildred Mott on Aug. 12, 1939, in Iowa City, Iowa. She died on Sept. 4, 1995.

He graduated from high school at Bethel Academy and attended two years at Bethel College in North Newton. He also attended the University of Arizona in Tucson and received a masters degree from the University of Nebraska. In 1936 he received a doctorate in anthropology from the University of California-Berkeley, which was the first one awarded with an archaeology emphasis. In 1936 he joined the Smithsonian Institution where he remained until his retirement in 1976. He specialized in prehistory and human ecology of the great plains. At the time of his retirement he was senior archaeologist and was archaeologist emeritus at the Smithsonian. In 1947 he received the award in biological science from the Washington Academy of Sciences and in 1948 he served as president of the Society for American Archaeology. During 1951-52 he was president of the Anthropological Society of Washington. In 1965 he was honored by election to the National Academy of Sciences. Between 1968 and 1970 he served as president of the Plains Anthropological Conference. In 1971 he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Bethel College in North Newton. He received two honorary doctorate degrees, one from the University of Nebraska in 1972 and the other from Kansas State University in 1986. Also in 1986, he was the recipient of the Society for American Archaeology's Distinguished Service Award. On Nov. 15, 1991, he was presented the first Plains Anthropological Distinguished Service Award in Lawrence. Since 1933 he has published more than 120 papers and monographs plus three books.

Survivors include two sons, Waldo "Wally" M. Wedel of Boulder, Colo., and Frank P. Wedel of Gaithersburg, Md.; one daughter, Linda W. Greene of Death Valley, Calif.; and three grandchildren. He was preceded in death by two sisters and one brother.

Memorial services will be at 10 a. m. Saturday at the Frasier Meadows Chapel in Boulder, Colo., with the Rev. Billie G. Martin officiating.

Memorials may be sent to the Archaeological Conservancy, 5301 Central Ave. N. E., Albuquerque, NM 87108-1517.

Howe Mortuary in Boulder is in charge of the arrangements.