The School of American Research was established in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1907 as a center for the study of the archaeology and ethnology of the American Southwest. Since 1967, the scope of the
School's activities has embraced a global perspective through programs to encourage advanced scholarship in anthropology and related social science disciplines and the humanities, and to facilitate the work of Native American scholars and artists and further their art. SAR realizes its mission through an array of programs, including the Indian Arts Research Center; annual fellowships for scholars-in-residence; week-long deliberative gatherings of scholars in advanced seminars; the annual J. I. Staley Prize for excellence in anthropological writing; residential fellowships for Native American artists; and SAR Press, which publishes scholarly books arising from SAR's programs as well as general-interest books on the Southwest, with an emphasis on Native American arts.
SAR's first director, Dr. Edgar Lee Hewett, founded the Museum of
New Mexico as the education and public outreach division of the School. In 1959 the School and the Museum became separate institutions. SAR remains a private institution, while the Museum is administered by the state of New Mexico. Since 1973, SAR's campus has occupied the estate built by Amelia Elizabeth and Martha Root White in the 1920s. The classic Pueblo Revival buildings and grounds provide a tranquil environment for scholars to write, researchers to gather for weeklong seminars, and Native artists and students to study amid one of the foremost collections of Southwest Indian art at the Indian Arts Research Center.
Click on History to see
more about the School’s past.
The School has built up a substantial endowment over the last thirty years that helps support it operations. SAR also depends heavily on annual contributions, federal and private grants, bequests, and the generosity of its patrons and Board members. Go to Making a Gift for
more information about giving to SAR to help fund programs and operations.
By becoming a member of SAR, you can participate in the fascinating worlds of anthropology and Native American studies and arts. Attend our exciting lecture series, join field trips to archaeological sites, and take guided tours of the collections at the Indian Arts Research
Center and SAR's historic campus. Your membership is also an excellent way to foster the School's people and programs. As a 501(c)(3) organization under federal tax law, portions of some donations (gifts and SAR memberships at and above $125.00) are tax deductible. Contact the Membership Office at 505-954-7203 for more information. To find about more about joining SAR, attending
lectures, going on field trips, and finding out about special events, go to Membership.
Moving forward into the twenty-first century, SAR is forming an interactive community of scholars. Scholars on the School's staff, scholars-in-residence, and research associates work on individual projects as well as contributing to dialogues across disciplinary boundaries. For more information about SAR’s own
administrative staff who are also distinguished scholars, go to Staff
Research.
The School, an educational non-profit organization, is guided by its Board of Managers.
To learn more, go to Board
Members. We receive no state or federal governmental support except through occasional grants received on a competitive basis. A staff of thirty carries out the School's programs.
For a listing of the people who work at the
School of American Research, go to Staff Directory.
