Our Museum dates to the 1930s and I've noticed that Museum staff of the
1930s, 40s, and 50s did it all: geology, paleontology and archeology.  One
director of the museum wrote three books on what today are far ranging
topics: Pliocene and Pleistocene (1906-while in Florida), The Geology of
Texas (1933), and Early Man in America (1952).  Digs brought forth material
interesting to paleontologists and archeologists.  Even today the two labs
on campus are next door to each other and share expertise.

Texas Memorial Museum was funded through the efforts of UT scientists and
the VFW so we've always had a mixed constituency.  Not suprisingly, TMM has
collections and exhibits spanning natural and cultural history.  Today, the
ethnology, archeology and history collections are in one division
(hopefully erasing the "us" and "them" aspects of history and ethnology.)

Another former director took out all the "history" exhibits because he
didn't want to do "great white man" history, but unfortunately our public
face now is the old fashioned mix of "other people" and natural
history.  We will be discussing the "us" and "them" issue as exhibits get
updated over the next decade.  Newer exhibits try to broaden the focus
beyond "the exotic" even when displaying only one culture.  We've also
started playing up the natural history part of cultural history (looking at
material sources used in making baskets, etc.)

Sally

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