Student-curated exhibit traces the remarkable discoveries of retired archaeologist William M. Kelso '63.
With the help of current BW history major Jamie Webb '29, Baldwin Wallace University's Ritter Library has mounted a new archival exhibit to celebrate the storied career of BW's most famous history graduate, William M. Kelso '63.
The former Yellow Jacket football player went on to become a world-renowned archaeologist who led the rediscovery of historic Jamestown, Virginia.
Kelso retired from archaeology in 2021 as the Emeritus Director of Archaeology and Research at the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation, which was credited with unearthing the 400-year-old Jamestown settlement.
Tests on skeletons found buried at the church where Pocahontas married Captain John Rolfe in 1614 have pegged the remains to the earliest leaders of the English colony that would become America.
Kelso, who once escorted the Queen of England to the site of his Jamestown excavations, was later made an officer in the Order of the British Empire.
The library's archives exhibit, "Beneath the Surface: Exploring the Career of Dr. William Kelso," was curated by Webb, as an incoming first-year student and summer volunteer. Her high school teacher helped connect her to BW historian and professor Kieth Peppers.
For Webb, it was a "fun" way to learn and fuel her career goals before even setting foot on campus.
Webb explains, "I am working towards a career in archiving and curating. My dream job is to work somewhere in D.C., as an archivist for the National Archives or the Library of Congress. I was excited to gain experience in the archiving world, and since my interests lie in Early American History, Professor Peppers recommended that we curate an exhibit based on the man who rediscovered Jamestown (William Kelso)."
Today, according to the Jamestown Rediscovery Project website, the work Kelso started continues as "more than two dozen staff members excavate, interpret, preserve, conserve, and research the site's findings … More than 4 million unearthed artifacts require the curation and conservation environment provided by the state-of-the-art, on-site Rediscovery Research Center."
Webb is impressed by Kelso's extraordinary contributions to American archaeological discovery at Jamestown and elsewhere.
"I have always been interested in young America and the Revolutionary/Colonial Era. I am a huge fan of Thomas Jefferson and was thrilled to find out that a BW alumnus excavated at Monticello (Jefferson's home). I made many important realizations about his personal career."
The Kelso exhibit can be viewed during regular Ritter Library hours.
