On the Spot column insensitive

It was with both pleasure and pain that I read the July 9 issue of the Summer Wildcat. As an employee of the Arizona State Museum and a graduate of the UA Department of Anthropology, I enjoyed the terrific coverage and photos of ASM's summer archaeological excavations at Chevelon. That article, however, made the contents of the On The Spot column ironic in a way that I doubt Wildcat readers realize. I refer interested readers to an archived copy of the Nov. 7, 1995, Wildcat, which describes the 66-year career of Doc Emil Haury of the eponymous Haury Building. Doc was a major force in the creation of the modern field of anthropological archaeology in the Southwest and simultaneously chair of the Department of Anthropology, director of the ASM, and distinguished professor.

I understand that On The Spot is designed to be humorous, but it is such comments as "What's Haury?" and "Who is that?" that give pain to Doc's family, friends, and colleagues and serve only to demonstrate the ignorance of the speakers. Clearly, corporate funding is an important force on today's university campus. However, naming the Anthropology building after Doc Haury had nothing to do with corporate funding and everything to do with honoring a real force in the creation of a large part of this campus.

Beth Grindell
Associate Director
Arizona State Museum