Lucile E. St. Hoyme papers
name: label: Creator
content: St. Hoyme, L.E.
label: Collaborator
content: Angel, J. Lawrence (John Lawrence)
label: Collaborator
content: Koritzer, Richard
topic: label: Topic
content: Biological anthropology
label: Topic
content: Archaeology
label: Topic
content: Physical anthropology -- anthropometry
label: Topic
content: Physical anthropology -- dental anthropology
label: Topic
content: Forensic anthropology
creator: label: Creator
content: St. Hoyme, L.E.
label: Collaborator
content: Angel, J. Lawrence (John Lawrence)
label: Collaborator
content: Koritzer, Richard
setName: label: See more items in
content: Lucile E. St. Hoyme papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: Lucile E. St. Hoyme was a biological anthropologist known for her extensive research on human skeletal morphology and pathology, which she mainly collected using anthropometric data from the Smithsonian's collections. St. Hoyme worked for the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History for over fifty years. This collection includes materials related to St. Hoyme's research and publications on the human skeleton, her forensic work, and her teaching on these subjects.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Biological anthropologist Lucile Eleanor St. Hoyme is known for her contributions to the study of human skeletal morphology, variation, and paleopathology. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1924, St. Hoyme began her employment at the Smithsonian Institution in 1942 in the Department of Anthropology, at the age of 17. As one of the few female staff members at the time, St. Hoyme started as an assistant clerk-stenographer for Aleš Hrdlička, typing his notes and copying crania catalog measurements. St. Hoyme was hired permanently in 1943, and following the death of Hrdlička, she began working under Thomas Dale Stewart. Stewart tasked her with documenting anthropometric instruments and studying anthropometry, a field she remained interested in throughout the rest of her career. 

St. Hoyme used her income as a clerk to fund night school at George Washington University, where in 1950 she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in zoology, and in 1953, her Master of Science degree in biology. In 1955, St. Hoyme was promoted to Museum Aid and then to Museum Anthropological Aid in 1956. In 1957, St. Hoyme received a National Science Foundation grant for her doctoral research at Oxford University, where she spent the next two years studying the accuracy of sex determination in the human skeleton. She returned to her position at the Smithsonian in 1960 and she continued to work on her dissertation, which she completed in 1964. In 1961, St. Hoyme was promoted to Museum Specialist, and in 1964 was promoted to Assistant Curator. In 1967, Lucile St. Hoyme officially changed her surname to include "St." after researching her family's genealogy. 

One of St. Hoyme's first projects upon returning to the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) was to study the skeletal and dental pathologies of remains excavated by the River Basin Survey from the John Kerr Reservoir Basin (Buggs Island, Virginia) for the Bureau of American Ethnology. During the 1960s and 1970s, St. Hoyme continued her research on skeletal pathology and variation, particularly working to evaluate the influence of nutritional stress and climate on the human skeleton. Much of this research pertained to crania and dentition, which St. Hoyme studied and published on throughout the rest of her career. St. Hoyme's skeletal pathology expertise also extended to her work on FBI forensic cases. Additionally, St. Hoyme was an early adopter of the x-ray machine, receiving radiographic training so that she could utilize the Smithsonian's newly acquired machine in her research.

St. Hoyme also dedicated much of her professional career to teaching. She held various associate and adjunct professor positions at the University of Pennsylvania, American University, the George Washington University, Georgetown University, Howard University, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, and the Dental School of the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Of note is her close relationship with Howard University, where she worked as an adjunct professor and mentor, and conducted research with Howard in Jamaica collecting anthropometric data. St. Hoyme continued to teach and mentor students after her retirement in 1982. She served as an advisory committee member at the Smithsonian Naturalist Center, working on educational outreach programs for them from 1981 until her death. Additionally, St. Hoyme was a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the American Anthropological Association. She was also a member of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, the Anthropological Society of Washington, Sigma Xi, the Society of Women Geographers, the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, the Society for Systematic Zoology, the New York Academy of Sciences, and Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society.

St. Hoyme is also known for her active membership with her local church and her Christian faith which she often reflected on throughout her career in relation to her understanding of evolutionary theory. St. Hoyme also held a deep appreciation for her pet cats, some of which upon their passing she donated to the Smithsonian's collections. 

Lucile St. Hoyme passed away at the age of 78 due to diabetes complications on November 15, 2001.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 29 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1944-1999
label: Date
content: bulk 1950-1990
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.2017-18
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection is arranged into 6 series: 1) Correspondence, 1926, 1950-1995, undated; 2) Research notes and data, 1950-1999, undated; 3) Professional material, 1952-1993, undated; 4) Publications and manuscripts, 1949-1992, undated; 5) Photographs, 1951-1999, undated; and 6) Personal papers, 1944-1978, undated.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Materials in the Lucile E. St. Hoyme papers were received in a disorganized state. Much of the material showed evidence of St. Hoyme's pet cats, was water damaged, and was covered in general dust and grime. The collection was rehoused into acid free folders and boxes. Unorganized loose materials found without folders were grouped and given folders. Photographs, slides, and negatives were rehoused in acid free envelopes or archival sleeves. Original folder titles were retained; titles expanded or created by the archivist are denoted by brackets. The arrangement of the materials in this collection was created by the archivist.

Material containing images or data related to human skeletal remains are restricted; this material was boxed separately from non-restricted material. 

St. Hoyme changed her name from Lucile Hoyme to Lucile St. Hoyme in 1967. Materials in this collection contain both surnames, and initials used by St. Hoyme include both "LEH" and "LES".  

Processed by Lea Sellon, August 2025
bibliography: label: Selected Bibliography
content: 1953. "Physical Anthropology and Its Instruments: An Historical Study"  -- Southwestern Journal of Anthropology --  Volume 9, No. 4, (1953): 408-430.

1957. "The Earliest Use of Indices for Sexing Pelves"  -- American Journal of Physical Anthropology --  Volume 15, No. 4, (1957): 537-546.

1962. with William M. Bass. "Human Skeletal Remains from the John H. Kerr Reservoir Basin, Virginia"  -- Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin --  No. 182, (1962): 329-400.

1969. "On the Origins of New World Paleopathology"  -- American Journal of Biological Anthropology --  Volume 31, No. 3, (1969): 295-302.

1971. with Richard T. Koritzer. "Significance of Canine Wear in Pongid Evolution"  -- American Journal of Biological Anthropology --  Volume 35, No. 1, (1971): 145-147.

1980. with Richard T. Koritzer. "Caries and Elemental Composition of the Rhodesian Man Dentition"  -- Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences --  Volume 70, No. 2, (1980): 74-79.

1982. with Richard T. Koritzer et al. "Caries and Juvenile Onset Diabetes: A Metabolic Viewpoint"  --  Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences --  Volume 72, No. 3, (1982): 98-104.

1989. with Mehmet Yasar Iscan. "Determination of Sex and Race: Accuracy and Assumptions"  -- Reconstruction of Life from the Skeleton -- . New York: Wiley-Liss, 1989.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Lucile E. St. Hoyme papers document St. Hoyme's long career at the Smithsonian and her dedication to the study of the human skeleton. The collection includes research notes, correspondence, collection catalogs, manuscripts, teaching material, bibliographies, anthropometric data, reports, awards and certificates, sound recordings, video recordings, photographs, and autobiographical material.  

Much of the material in this collection consists of metric research data, notes, catalogs, and draft materials pertaining to St. Hoyme's extensive studies on human skeletal morphology and pathology. This material mainly relates to crania, dentition, and pelves housed in the Smithsonian's collections. There are also many photographs taken by St. Hoyme of human skeletal remains for use in her research. Copies of St. Hoyme's published articles, abstracts, and reviews are also included in this collection.

St. Hoyme's professional papers mainly consist of work reports and grant materials related to her research and materials concerning St. Hoyme's forensic pathology work. There is also a large amount of teaching material from St. Hoyme's involvement with various universities, mainly consisting of syllabi, lesson plans, and reading lists. Included in this collection are also several awards and certificates received by St. Hoyme and there are also copies of press published about her career. 

Additionally, there is a significant amount of autobiographical material related to St. Hoyme's personal thoughts on her social life, career, and religion in this collection. This is documented in both her personal correspondence and her writings. 

Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.