National Anthropological Archives

Guide to the Robert Rankin papers, 1886, 1914, 1956-2011

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.2014-16
Creators:
Rankin, Robert Louis, 1939-
Dates:
1886, 1914, 1956-2011
Languages:
Materials are primarily in
English
. A number of American Indian language materials appear in the collection in notes, field notes, and sound recordings. The most prominent are
Quapaw
,
Kaw
(
Kansa
,
Kanza
), and
Yuchi
. The collection also contains notes, field notes, and sound recordings in
Romanian
and related dialects.
Physical Description:
31.77 Linear feet
55 boxes, 1 map folder
196 Sound recordings
Repository:
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.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
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.

Arrangement

Arrangement
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.

Biographical Note

Biographical Note
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

Administration

Author
Katie Duvall
Sponsor
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Wenner-Gren Foundation. Digitization and preparation of sound recordings for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.
Processing Information
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
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was transferred to the National Anthropological Archives by Robert Rankin's wife, Carolyn Rankin, in 2014.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Conditions Governing Access
The Robert Rankin papers are open for research.
Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
Computer disks are currently restricted due to preservation concerns.
Access to the Robert Rankin papers requires an appointment.
Preferred Citation
Robert Rankin papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

More Information

Selected Bibliography

Selected Bibliography
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/.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Indians of North America -- Southern states Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Indians of North America -- Great Plains Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Quapaw Indians Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kansa Indians Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kansa language Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Yuchi language Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Field notes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Yuchi Indians Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Language and languages -- Documentation Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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