Ellis R. Kerley papers
name: label: Creator
content: Kerley, Ellis R., 1924-1998
label: Names
content: U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory
topic: label: Topic
content: Forensic anthropology
label: Topic
content: Biological anthropology
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was received from Mary Kerley in 1999 and Mark P. Leone in 2000.
creator: label: Creator
content: Kerley, Ellis R., 1924-1998
setName: label: See more items in
content: Ellis R. Kerley papers
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Ellis Royal Kerley was a leading figure in forensic anthropology, helping to shape the field and its methodology. He is known for his many contributions to the science of forensic anthropology, chief among them his development of a method to determine age at death from histological analysis of bone. He is also noted for his forensic work involving the identification of remains on high-profile cases, including Joseph Mengele and the Challenger astronauts.

1924 -- Born in Covington, Kentucky on September 1

1950 -- Receives BS from Univerity of Kentucky Staff anthropologist, Bowman Gray School of Medicine (1950-1953)

1954-1955 -- Biological anthropologist, Department of the Army, Graves Registration, Central Identification Laboratory, Kokura, Japan

1956 -- Receives MS from the University of Michigan Serves as teaching fellow and research assistant in Heredity Clinic and Physical Anthropology Laboratory

1957 -- Biological anthropologist, Veterans Administration, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (1957-1966)

1962 -- Receives PhD from the University of Michigan

1966 -- Joins faculty of the University of Kansas (1966-1971)

1972 -- Joins faculty of the University of Maryland (1972-1987) 

1978 -- Serves as Special Consultant to the US House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations (John F. Kennedy)

1985 -- Helps to identify remains of Joseph Mengele in Brazil Consultant to the Philadelphia Special Investigative Commission regarding the MOVE fire Serves on team to evaluate the CILHI laboratory and make recommendations for improvement

1986 -- Consultant to NASA on the identification of the Challenger astronauts

1987 -- Serves as consultant and then Scientific Director, US Army Central Identification Laboratory (CILHI) in Hawaii

1991 -- Retires

1997 -- Serves on panel reviewing the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

1998 -- Dies on September 3
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 7.09 Linear feet (18 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1955-1998
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.1999-29
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection arrived in several accessions over the course of two years. Most of the material was unorganized and unlabeled. The archivist sorted and arranged the material, rehoused it into archival enclosures, and separated restricted from unrestricted files. Folder titles supplied by the archivist are within square brackets [].

Extra photocopies and other duplicate material were removed and discarded, as were unidentified and deteriorating xrays.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Ellis Kerley papers primarily document Kerley's work as a forensic expert, and include individual forensic case files as well as his work for the US Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii (CILHI), his review of the forensic work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the identification of Josef Mengele's remains, and other cases. 

In addition to the forensic files the papers contain a mix of subject files, teaching and training materials, newsclippings, publications, and a large number of 35mm slides organized by topic.

Material relating to Kerley's doctoral research and dissertation and his teaching at University of Maryland is not present in this collection. See the Related Materials note for more information about Kerley's papers held at other institutions. 

Forensic case files, CILHI files, and files on Kerley's review of ICTY are restricted.

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.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: The National Museum of Health and Medicine holds Kerley's research material from his time working for AFIP (Armed Forces Pathology Institute).