Frank C. Hibben

Who was Frank C. Hibben?

Frank Cumming Hibben was a well-known archaeologist whose research focused on the U.S. Southwest. As a professor at the University of New Mexico and writer of popular books and articles, he inspired many people to study archaeology. He was also controversial, being suspected of scientific fraud during his studies of Paleo-Indian cultures.

Hibben was born in Lakewood, Ohio and became interested in archaeology as a child, working a number of summers at a number of digs. He received his bachelor's degree in archaeology from Princeton University in 1933 and a master's degree in zoology from the UNM in 1936. While a graduate student, Hibben was put in charge of the university's archaeology collections. He returned East for one year to attend Harvard University, which awarded him a Ph.D. in anthropology in 1940. Hibben then taught at UNM until his retirement, except for a period of service in the U.S. Navy during World War II. During much of his career, Hibben was the director of the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology.

Hibben's first marriage and subsequent investments made him a millionaire. In 2000, he donated part of his fortune to build an archaeology research building at UNM.