Robert Rankin papers
name: label: Creator
content: Rankin, Robert Louis, 1939-
topic: label: Topic
content: Indians of North America -- Southern states
label: Topic
content: Indians of North America -- Great Plains
label: Topic
content: Kansa Indians
label: Topic
content: Kansa language
label: Topic
content: Yuchi language
label: Topic
content: Yuchi Indians
label: Topic
content: Language and languages -- Documentation
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: This collection was transferred to the National Anthropological Archives by Robert Rankin's wife, Carolyn Rankin, in 2014.
creator: label: Creator
content: Rankin, Robert Louis, 1939-
culture: label: Culture
content: Quapaw Indians
setName: label: See more items in
content: Robert Rankin papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Robert Rankin papers, 1886, 1914, 1956-2011, document his field work, research, and professional activities, primarily in relation to his work studying American Indian languages. Rankin was professor of linguistics at the University of Kansas from 1969 until his retirement in 2005. The collection consists of sound recordings, field notebooks, vocabulary lists and bibliographies, dictionaries, research files, slip files, word lists, correspondence, ephemera, notes, readings and reprints, writings, drafts, and teaching materials. This includes materials from Rankin's work with the last native speakers of the Quapaw and Kaw (Kansa, Kanza) languages and subsequent research, writings, and collaborations with tribes and fellow linguists.
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: Chronology

1939 -- Born January 17

1960 -- Graduated from Emory University with a B.A. in Romance Languages

1966-1968 -- Fulbright Fellowship in Romania researching Romanian dialects

1968 -- M.A. in Linguistics, University of Chicago

1969 -- Started at the University of Kansas as an Acting Assistant Professor of Linguistics

1972 -- Ph.D. in Linguistics, University of Chicago

1972 -- Became an Assistant Professor of Linguistics at the University of Kansas

1973 -- Language work with the Quapaw

1973-1974 -- Began work with the Kaw (Kansa, Kanza) language that continued for the rest of his life

1986 -- Became a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Kansas

2005 -- Retired from the University of Kansas

2014 -- Died on February 24

Robert Rankin was a professor of linguistics at the University of Kansas who spent the majority of his career working with American Indian languages in the Siouan language family. He began his career studying romance languages as part of his undergraduate and graduate work and completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Romania (1966-1968) examining regional linguistic differences. He began teaching at the University of Kansas in 1969 and was introducted to the Choctaw language in Summer 1972 while teaching a field methods course. He became fascinated with American Indian languages and started working with the remaining native speakers of the Quapaw tribe in early 1973. When there were no more native speakers left, he started working with the Kaw (Kansa, Kanza) language. When he began this research in 1973-1974, there were only four fluent speakers of Kaw (Kansa, Kanza) left. He continued studying the language until well after his retirement from the University of Kansas in 2005. Rankin died on February 24, 2014 in Kansas City, MO.

Sources consulted: "Robert L. Rankin obituary," Lawrence Journal-World, March 1-5, 2014 http://obituaries.ljworld.com/obituaries/ljworld/obituary.aspx?pid=169905179
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 31.77 Linear feet (55 boxes, 1 map folder)
label: Extent
content: 196 Sound recordings
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1886, 1914, 1956-2011
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.2014-16
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Field notes
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The Robert Rankin papers are arranged in 9 series: Series 1. Quapaw, 1972-1991, undated; Series 2. Kaw (Kansa, Kanza), circa 1970-2011, undated; Series 3. Field notebooks, 1981-1983, 1995, undated; Series 4. Subject and correspondence files, 1886, 1956-2007, undated; Series 5. Conferences and professional associations, 1974-2010; Series 6. Writings, 1975-2010, undated; Series 7. Teaching and academic files, 1973-2006, undated; Series 8. Romanian study, 1914, 1962-1972, undated; Series 9. Sound recordings, 1963-1987, undated.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The papers of Robert Rankin were received loosely labeled by topic, but required extensive rearrangement during processing to deliniate series. Files were mostly well labeled and original file titles were maintained throughout the majority of the collection. This includes Rankin's file titles regarding American Indian languages and tribes, however the archivist used standardized names for tribes and languages in the front matter and notes.

Sound recordings 075-076 were discovered to be copies of other material, so these numbers no longer exist in this collection.

Processed and encoded by Katie Duvall, 2016
bibliography: label: Selected Bibliography
content: 1978.  -- Word final high vowels in Rumanian: problems in synchronic and diachronic dialectology -- .

with J. R. Swanton. 2002.  -- An Ofo grammar sketch. --  [Kansas]: University of Kansas.

with Cumberland, Linda A. 2012.  -- Kaanze Ie Wayaje: an Annotated Dictionary of Kaw (Kanza).

n.d. "The Unmarking of Quapaw Phonology: A Study of Language Death".  -- Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics -- .

with Richard T. Carter, Willem de Reuse, Randolph Graczyk, A. Wesley Jones, John E. Koontz, David S. Rood, Patricia A. Shaw, and Paul Voorhis. "Comparative Siouan Dictionary." Comparative Siouan Dictionary. Accessed November 17, 2016. http://csd.clld.org/.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Field notes
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Robert Rankin papers, 1886, 1914, 1956-2011, document his field work, research, and professional activities, primarily in relation to his work studying American Indian languages. The collection includes sound recordings, field notebooks, vocabulary lists and bibliographies, dictionaries, research files, slip files, word lists, correspondence, ephemera, notes, readings and reprints, writings, drafts, and teaching materials.

The 196 sound recordings include material from Rankin's work with the last native speakers of both the Quapaw and Kaw (Kansa, Kanza) languages. The collection includes extensive research on these languages along with research on other facets of the Siouan language family. Rankin's close collaboration with colleagues and tribes is well documented, especially his work with linguists John E. Koontz and W.L. Ballard, as well as his contributions to language documentation efforts including the Handbook of North American Indians, the Annotated Dictionary of Kaw (Kanza), and the Comparative Siouan Dictionary. The collection also includes sound recordings and notes from Rankin's study of the Romanian language as part of his graduate study.