Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-05-08
MAJOR KELLY
EXPLAINS THE
MUSEUM TIFF

George H. Kelly, state historian,
has written the following letter to
Mrs. Gerald Sherman, president of the
Douglas Woman's club, regarding the
controversy over the Arizona mu-
scum.
Mrs. Gerald Sherman,
tPresident Womans Club of Douglas,
i Douglas, Arizona
.|Dear Mrs. Sherman
4 Your telegram was received at No
4 gales a few days ago, for which /
thank you.
You asked that 1 give my unbiased
opinion regarding the proposed Ari-
zona museum for publication in the
douglas Dispatch, suggesting the idea
that there might be room for both
the museum in the Arizona university
in Tucson and the one being spon-
sored by the Arizona Museum associ-
alton in Phoenix, the latter being an
/ incorporated organization, for the
purpose of gathering articles which
would remind future generations of
the history, customs and habits of
pre- historic and later pioneer popula-
tions of Arizona To my mind, this
lWOTh is So QGSlIdDlG III AIIZOHd lIldI
there should be no encouragement of
anyone willing to undertake and car
ry it on. Let me assure you that so
far as know, there has never been
any desire or intention on the part of
those who are in control of the Ari-
zona museum in Phoenix to move the.
ipresent museum from the university
at Tucson; that idea seems to be
found only recently in the minds of
the press, the Woman's club and
among some members of the univer-
lsity faculty in Tucson. The museum
in the university is a creditable fea-
| ture of that institution and L hope to
see it grow in the future, but to my
mind there should be no objection to
providing an Arizona museum at
Phoenix, the capital of the state, and
can see no reason for criticizing
the trustees of the Arizona museum
| in this city because of their efforts
/ to raise money to be used in pro-
viding museum building on a de-
sirable site, already provided by the
I city government of Phoenix.
The criticism which has been in
dulged in at Tucson may result in
stimulating those in charge of the
Tucson and Phoenix museums to more
determined work in the future, and
/ if so, these criticisms will have served
good purpose. Competition in the
work of gathering articles belonging
! in a museum I hope. will grow so
keen as to prevent the escape of
single thing which, if preserved, will
enlighten our future generations on
since this fair land was first marked
by old missions by Father Kino.
Both Tucson and Phoenix are pro-
gressive and ambitious cities, and it
is not surprising that there should be
occasional outcrops of jealousy as
each strives to make itself the more
prominent in the minds of those re-
siding in other sections of the state,
but neither must undertake to assume
that they are alone privileged to in
dulge in laudable work for the state.
Tucson ranks as a rival of Santa Fe,
N NJ, and ST. Augustine, Fla, as be-
ing the Oldest spot where civilization
was planted by the Spanish conquis-
tadors several hundred years ago, but
in the Casa Grande and Salt River
valleys are marks left by pre-his-
toric population which existed many
hundred years before the first Span
lard set foot on the American conti-
inent.
I agree that, there is room for both
1.-THE state museum in Tucson and also
the one now being provided for in
Phoenix, and I hope to see them both
added to and cared for in the future.
A large collection has been gathered
for the museum in Phoenix and no
one should object to the proper hous
ling of these by-gone relics.
Yours sincerely,
GEO. III. KELLY,
L State Historian