The scholarly works of Dr. Edward Craig Morris (1939-2006), Murray State College alumnus and 1958 graduate of Murray Training School, is now available at Waterfield Library. The collection was made possible by generous donations from the American Museum of Natural History and classmates of the Murray Training School.

A native of Calloway County, Morris was a world renowned archeologist specializing in Inkan civilizations. He led several expeditions to Huanuco Pampa in the Peruian Andes and extended his research to the Peruian coastal center of La Centinela and the Bolivian highlands. At the time of his death, Morris was senior vice president, dean of science and curator of South American archeology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Known for his skill of making science more approachable to the public, he was responsible for the permanent exhibit in the Hall of South American Peoples and an exhibit on the relationship between baseball and American culture. He was affiliated with the museum for 31 years. He was so admired by archeological circles world wide that The New York Times carried a full-page obituary on Morris and The London Independent also ran a tribute.

Morris grew up on a farm off of route 94 East just outside of Murray. His parents, Wybert and Ruby Craig Morris, were of English and Scottish decent. Born with a heart defect, he was not expected to live past adolescence. His sister, Emily Morris Luther of Murray, believes his disability motivated him to succeed.

Morris graduated valedictorian from Murray Training School . Successful in all his endeavors, as a member of the 4-H Club he was known statewide as an exhibitor of champion beef cattle. His classmates remember what an intelligent, kind person he was from an early age.

Murray Training School classmate Dr. Martin Tracy led the efforts to establish the collection at MSU. “Gentle, unassuming and self effacing, Craig had a quietness that concealed a profound intelligence,” Tracy said.

Jerry Shroat, Murray Training School alumnus and 1963 Murray State graduate says, “ As I look back I would have to say I am not surprised that Craig was successful.   However, I never would have guessed he would become a world known and world renowned archaeologist. I am pleased the training school and MSU are honoring the memory of Craig. He is a tribute to the 1958 Murray Training School class and is perhaps its most distinguished graduate.”

After attending Murray State he transferred to Vanderbilt University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He received his doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1967. His professional memberships include the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The collection at Waterfield includes: Huanuco Pampa , An Inka City and Its Hinterland; Andean Ecology and Civilization: An Interdisciplinary Perspective on Andean Ecological Complementarity; The Inka Empire and Its Andean Origins and Variations in the Expression of Inka Power.

For more information, contact the MSU Office of Development at 270-809-3738.