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WE WILL MISS YOU, ROSE! by Tori Heflin, Curator of Physical Anthropology Rose Tyson is retiring from the San Diego Museum of Man after 37 years of exceptional scholarship and service. Rose’s contributions to the Museum of Man, its staff, its visitors, and the anthropological community are countless, and her devotion, kindness, and enthusiasm will be remembered forever. Rose began working in the Physical Anthropology Laboratory at the Museum of Man in 1971. After getting her master of arts in anthropology from San Diego State University, she became the Curator of Physical Anthropology in 1974. Her research interests have focused on skeletal biology and paleopathology, and she has particular interest in skeletal remains from Peru, Baja California, and southern California.
These are just a few of the many exhibitions that Rose worked on over the years. Her educational prowess extended to seminars and lectures as well. Rose not only gave innumerable lectures to our members and the general public, but she also organized seminars and brought in scholars from all over the world to give lectures at the Museum. Rose initiated the first Seminar in the Forensic Sciences in 1981, and this continues to be a highly popular venue for students, law enforcement agents, and forensic anthropologists to share their knowledge and expertise in the field. In honor of Rose, this seminar will now be called the Rose Tyson Seminar in the Forensic Sciences. Teachers, students, and researchers from all over the world use and depend on Rose’s work from her tenure at the Museum of Man. Rose edited The Paleopathology Bibliography (1997), which is an invaluable and comprehensive resource for literature pertaining to paleopathology. The initial book and subsequent yearly supplements on CD-ROM comprise a total of approximately 100,000 citations. Rose also developed two slide sets — one focused on trephination, and one focused on pathology — which continue to be used by teachers and professors in the medical and anthropological disciplines. In addition to disseminating knowledge through lectures and awe-inspiring exhibitions, Rose curated the physical anthropology collections with immeasurable dedication and devotion. She secured grants to procure proper storage facilities for all of the Museum’s skeletal remains. She researched the remains and made her findings known to the anthropological community through numerous lectures and publications. She made these collections accessible to researchers from around the world, and the knowledge and advancement in the field of biological anthropology that are the result of these collaborations is exceptional. It is not only the Curatorial Department at the Museum of Man that will feel Rose’s absence. Rose’s expertise, knowledge, and creativity influenced many different aspects of the Museum’s operations. Whether it was producing postcards of the Egyptian collection to sell in the Museum Store, saving and preserving the Cassidy murals, looking up historical documents about the Museum for the Development Department, or creating flower arrangements for special events, Rose was always available and ready to help whenever anyone needed it. The Museum of Man staff recently honored Rose with a retirement party in appreciation of her many years of service. The tear-filled speeches delivered by Rose’s colleagues reflected just how much she means to everyone. At the event, Rose was granted the title of Emeritus Curator of Physical Anthropology, Egyptology, and Museum Historian. I cannot hope to capture all of Rose’s contributions and attributes in this short written account. However, what is definitely clear to all who know her is that Rose’s love for the Museum of Man and its collections is infectious. You have only to listen to her for a moment to know that her fascination with anthropology is limitless and her devotion to her work has no bounds. To have worked with her is a joy and honor that I will never forget. She has touched our hearts and minds and for that we are all eternally grateful.
MUSEUM MEMBERSHIP NEWS by Monika Wert, Membership Coordinator
Thank you to all of our wonderful Museum of Man members! It is with your support and membership that we are able to fund such exciting exhibitions and unique educational programs. Our long-term members have been supporting the Museum year after year, and it is a direct result of their interest and passion for the Museum that we are able to succeed. Welcome to all of our new members—we look forward to seeing you at the Museum often, and to building a lasting relationship with you. We are proud to be presenting several fun members’ events in the coming months. Mark your calendars for August 25 , when we will be screening the movie Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in the California Plaza. All members are welcome to join us for a free, family-friendly evening. Watch your mailbox for more information about the movie screening. In addition, we are looking forward to the third annual El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration on November 2, 2008. We are currently accepting applications from artists who would like to create a Day of the Dead altar in front of the Museum for public view. Please contact the Museum at (619) 239-2001 ext. 23 for more information about either of the upcoming members’ events or to submit an application to create an altar. The Museum has many programs and events scheduled for the next few months and our offices are getting busier and busier with mailings, data entry, and phone calls. We are looking for volunteers to assist the Museum at events such as exhibition openings, educational programs, and Tower After Hours as well as in the office with clerical tasks. For more information about volunteering at the Museum, contact the Membership Department at extension 23. DEAR DONORS AND FRIENDS Happy summer! To many people, summer means “vacation.” If your summer plans don’t include international travel — or even if they do! — I invite you to take a trip around the world by visiting your Museum of Man. And see what your loyal support has helped to create. isit China, with acclaimed artist Xian Rang Yong as your guide, in People Prints & Politics. See the archaeological treasures of Latin America in Gods and Gold. Experience the interplay of culture and climate in southern California and the American Southwest through Beyond Reasonable Drought. Your support makes these and other exciting Museum programs possible. You might consider booking your ’round-the-world trip for the evening of August 16. That’s when you can experience the Museum, enjoy exotic cuisine and eclectic entertainment, and support our education programs, all at the same time at Portico Premier. We’re in the process of planning this wonderful party now, and it promises to be an evening to remember! So whether it’s a Monday visit to catch a 12 O’Clock Scholar lecture, an evening trip to Tower After Hours, or a leisurely visit with out-of-town guests, please do visit the Museum. Come see the tangible results of your support: exhibits and programs that will enchant, educate, and inspire you — as well as a quarter of a million people from San Diego and around the world this year. Warmly,
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The exhibitions that Rose has developed are some of the most successful the Museum of Man ever showcased. With Holes in Their Heads: Ancient Peruvian Skull Surgery (1993–1994) taught visitors about the ancient Peruvian practice of trephination. Bodies and Bones: The Inside Story (1981–1982), Twentieth Century Bone Diseases (1987), Mummies, Mayhem, and Miseries (1988–1989), and Skeletons From Our Closets (1994–1995) all shed light on skeletal indicators of cultural practices, disease, and trauma. Efe: Archers of the Congo (2003–2004) focused on an extraordinary group of people and their cultural and biological adaptability to their environment. Mysteries of the Mummies (1998–1999) is arguably the most successful and popular exhibition in the history of the Museum of Man. This spectacular exhibition filled the entire main floor of the Museum and showcased mummification (natural and purposeful) and actual mummies from around the world. The reproduction of the ancient skull rack left an indelible memory in the minds of many visitors. For the unforgettable Footsteps Through Time: Four Million Years of Human Evolution, which opened in 2001, Rose initiated countless collaborations with experts in the field of paleoanthropology to create this permanent exhibit on human evolution. After securing the largest National Science Foundation grant in the Museum’s history, Rose and her team went on to create an exhibition masterpiece that continues to be enjoyed by thousands of visitors and school groups each year.
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