Froehlich G. Rainey Egypt

Froelich G. Rainey was born in Black River Falls, Wisconsin in 1907 and raised on a cattle ranch in Montana. He spent time as a cowboy in his youth and attended the local schools. For his college experience he chose the University of Chicago, graduating in 1929 with a B.A. in English. Rainey spent the next year at the American School in France studying Pre-Historic Archaeology. He completed his graduate wotk at Yale University attaining a Ph.D. in Anthropology in 1935.

Rainey taught for a year at the University of Puerto Rico and in 1935 began a six year teaching stay at University of Alaska. While in Alaska, he conducted research which resulted in evidence that humans had migrated from Russia to Alaska centuries ago.

Rainey gained museum experience as an Assistant in Archaeology at the Peabody Museum at Harvard and as a representative for Financial Grants in Archaeology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

During WWII, Rainey headed a mission in Ecuador and was responsible for the interception of a shipment of tree bark destined for Germany to be used for the manufacture of quinine. The captured bark was used by the U.S. forces.

Rainey served as a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. State Department in 1944-45 and as a consultant to the Department from 1948 to 1952. In 1949 he was the U.S. Representative to the International Rhine Commission and was a member of the Foreign Policy Research Institute in 1954.

As an Archaeologist, Rainey participated in expeditions in Alaska, the West Indies and Italy.

Rainey was appointed Director of the University Museum in 1947 and maintained the position until his retirement in 1976. He also served as a Professor of Anthropology at the University. Among his many accomplishments as Director, Rainey is responsible for the institution of Expedition Magazine. He developed and hosted the television show "What in the World?" which ran either locally or nationally for a total of fifteen years. In 1964, he served as a contributor to the show "Sunday" on NBC reporting the "archaeology news."

After his retirement, Froelich Rainey directed the Land Preservation Fund for the Nature Conservancy from 1976 to 1977. He relocated to Cornwall, England where he continued writing. He passed away in 1992.

Among Rainey's many publications is his autobiography

Rainey was appointed Director of the University Museum in 1947 and maintained the position until his retirement in 1976. He also served as a Professor of Anthropology at the University. Among his many accomplishments as Director, Rainey is responsible for the institution of Expedition Magazine. He developed and hosted the television show "What in the World?" which ran either locally or nationally for a total of fifteen years. In 1964, he served as acontributor to the show "Sunday" on NBC reporting the "archaeology news."

After his retirement, Froelich Rainey directed the Land Preservation Fund for the Nature Conservancy from 1976 to 1977. He relocated to Cornwall, England where he continued writing. He passed away in 1992.

The Froelich G. Rainey Egypt records reflect his close association with the expeditions sponsored by the University in Egypt. The records are contained in two archival boxes. They consist of correspondence related to the Yale-Penn Expedition, the relocation of the Abu Sindel/Nubian sites at the time of the Aswan Dam construction and the American Research Center in Egypt (A.R.C.E.). There are a few items representing publicity and a 1965 report from the Rescue Commission.

Publication Information: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives, 5/25/2016

Finding Aid Author:

Use Restrictions:

Form(s)/Genre(s)

• Correspondence

Geographic Name(s)

• Egypt

Personal Name(s)

• Bothmer, Bernard V., 1912-1993
• Brinton, Jasper Y., 1878-1973
• Fulbright, J. William, Senator, 1905-1995
• Rainey, Froelich, Director of the University Museum
• Ripley, S. Dillon, 1913-2001

Subject(s)

• Archaeological expeditions
• Television
• What in the World? (television program)