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American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) Archives, 1900-2023

Overview of the Collection

Creator
American Society of Overseas Research
Title
American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) Archives
Dates
1900-2023 (inclusive)
Quantity
180.14 cubic ft. (179 boxes) + 155.00 GB and Websites
Collection Number
12859
Summary
The American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) was a non-profit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia that supported the research, teaching, and public understanding of the history and cultures of the Middle East and wider Mediterranean world, from the earliest times. Collection contains ASOR’s administrative records and archives of excavation records, photographs, professional/personal papers of archaeologists and professors, school and committee records, and subject files regarding the study of Middle Eastern history and culture.
Repository
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

Languages
English, Arabic, Hebrew
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Historical Note

The American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) was a non-profit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia that supported the research, teaching, and public understanding of the history and cultures of the Middle East and wider Mediterranean world, from the earliest times. ASOR supported scholarship, research, exploration, archeological fieldwork, and offered avenues of disseminating this research through their publications. They also provided support for undergraduates and graduates in institutions of higher education around the world pursuing studies of the history and cultures of the Near and Middle East.

Founded in 1900 as the American School of Oriental Study in Palestine. ASOR had its first headquarters in a hotel room in Jerusalem. Twenty-one colleges, universities, and theological schools chartered ASOR, while three organizations (the Archaeological Institute of America, the Society for Biblical Literature, and the American Oriental Society) helped oversee its creation. By 1901, ASOR’s first excavation had begun at the tombs of Sidon and their first grant was awarded. In 1921 the organization was incorporated in the United States and began to use the name The American Schools of Oriental Research. In 2021 the name changed to the American Society of Overseas Research.

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Content Description

Collection contains ASOR’s administrative records of meeting minutes, correspondence, financial records, publications, and legal documents regarding the operations of ASOR. The ASOR archives contains collections of excavation records (Tell el-Kheleifeh, Khirbet et Tannur, Dibon, Issawiya tomb, Jerash, Nippur, Beth-Zur), photographs, professional/personal papers of archaeologists and professors (William F. Albright, Nelson Glueck, A. Henry Detweiler, Carl Herman Kraeling, Edmund Irwin Gordon, G. Ernest Wright, Clarence S. Fisher, Paul W. Lapp, William Dever, Melvin K. Lyons), school and committee records (Jerusalem School, Committee on Archaeological Policy (CAP), Ancient Manuscripts Committee, Agency for International Development (AID)), and subject files that contain manuscripts, research files, reports, correspondence, field notes, diaries, archaeological drawings, site maps, maps, photographs, audio and video recordings, financial records, newsletters, and publications regarding the study of Middle Eastern history and culture.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Restrictions on Use

Statement on Potentially Harmful Language and Images Found in Collections

The American Heritage Center aspires to approach all areas of our work in ways that are respectful to those who create, use, and are represented in our collections. For a variety of reasons, however, users may encounter offensive or harmful language or images in some of our finding aids, catalogs, and collection materials.

Note that the AHC does not censor or alter contents of the collections as they provide context and evidence of a time, people, place, or event. Therefore, we encourage users to bring questions and concerns about descriptions in our finding aids to our attention via email or anonymous web-form. For more information, read our full statement.

Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

This material was received from the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) from 2022-2023 and Peter Feinman in 2023.

Processing Note

The collection was processed by Jamie J. Greene in June 2023 and updated in February 2025.

Related Materials

There are no known other archival collections created by the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) at the date of processing.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Processed by Jamie J. Greene
2023

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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