The Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology is located in Neff Hall on the Campus of Wichita State University. The museum has two main functions; to support the educational mission of the Department of Anthropology and Wichita State University and to be a teaching museum operated by students enrolled in the university's Museum Studies Program. This program gives potential museum professionals hands-on experience in museum administration, operations, and exhibitions. The museum's collections include a wide range of cultural, archaeological, and biological objects. The museum is funded mainly with private donations. The museum is constantly working to fund student scholarships, student positions, exhibitions, field collecting expeditions, curation supplies, equipment and acquisitions. If you are interested in helping the museum with the donation of objects or funds please contact Jerry Martin, the Museum Director.

The Holmes Museum is responsible for accessioning and long-term curation of a very large collection of archaeological material housed at the Department of Anthropology. Over the years, archaeologists from Wichita State have conducted numerous excavations throughout Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Colorado. The Department is also a repository for United States Government collections from the Bureau of Reclamation, the US Corps of Engineers, and other government agencies.

The Holmes Museum has strong ceramics collections in prehistoric Southwest, Plains and pre-Columbian pottery. Some highlights of the collection include: 1. The Aitchison collection of 265 prehistoric Southwestern, Mississippian and pre-Columbian ceramics. 2. The Beren collection of 217 prehistoric Southwestern ceramics. 3. The Sally and David Jackman Collection of 237 pre-Columbian ceramics.

The museum's collection of contemporary ceramics was greatly enhanced by the addition of the Morgan Collection of 113 Southwest Pueblo ceramics. For more information on the Morgan Collection look up our extensive on-line web site titled "Through the Eyes of the Pot, The Morgan Collection of Southwestern Pueblo Pottery."

The Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology is a teaching museum dedicated to supporting the Department of Anthropology and helping students prepare for a career as museum professionals. The Museum Studies Program at Wichita State University is under the auspices of the Department of Anthropology. Students receive a Masters Degree in Anthropology with an emphasis on Museum Studies. Students must fulfill the requirements for a degree in anthropology and take the museum courses offered through the anthropology department in association with the Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology.