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Hiram F. "Pete" Gregory Jr.

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Dr. Hiram F. “Pete” Gregory Jr. is an archeologist and professor of four-field anthropology at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Biography

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Gregory was born in Vidalia, Louisiana in 1938, but shortly after his birth, moved to Ferriday, Louisiana, where he spent the majority of his youth. He identifies as having Scots-Irish, German, and Native American ancestry, and he cites this as an influence on his anthropological work.[1]

Career

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In 1961, after graduating from Louisiana State University, Gregory began his career as a temporary instructor at NSU, eventually accepting permanent professorship in the departments of anthropology and geography, where he remains as the university’s longest-serving employee.[2] Having conducted excavations at the archaeological site of Los Adaes from the 1960s through the 1980s, Gregory is credited with advancing scholarship on Louisiana’s colonial history. He is also recognized for his scholarship on Native American tribes of Louisiana, produced through close ethnographic work, including land and language preservation projects,[3] with citizens of tribes such as the Caddo Nation, the Tunica–Biloxi Tribe, and the Jena Band of Choctaws.[4] In addition to his fieldwork and professorship, Gregory is a curator for NSU's Williamson Museum, as well as an academic advisor for the Louisiana Creole Heritage Center, the Louisiana Folklife Center, and the Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival, of which he is the co-founder.[4]

Publications

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Awards

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  • In 1999, Gregory was the recipient of the President's Distinguished Service Award[2]
  • In 2016, Gregory was named Louisiana's Archaeologist of the Year by Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development[4]
  • In 2018, Gregory was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Louisiana Creole Heritage Center[2]
  • In 2019, Gregory was the recipient of Louisiana's Lifetime Contribution to the Humanities Award from Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities[3]

References

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  1. ^ Lee, Danya. "Musings on the Louisiana Delta from a Native Son". Folklife in Louisiana. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  2. ^ a b c Jackson, Leah. "Pete Gregory begins 60th year at NSU, discusses Williamson Museum's centennial". Northwestern State University. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  3. ^ a b West, David. "NSU's Pete Gregory to receive Lifetime Contribution to the Humanities Award | Natchitoches Times". Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  4. ^ a b c Randall, Morgan. "A Resource Rich and Varied". 64 Parishes. Retrieved 2023-03-15.