Dr. Kathleen Sheppard, associate professor of history and political science, edited a volume of historical archaeological correspondence. The book, “My Dear Miss Ransom…”: Letters between Caroline Ransom Williams and James Henry Breasted, 1898-1935, chronicles the conversations between the first American female Egyptologist and her colleague.

Documented by 240 letters between Ransom Williams and Breasted, their conversation shows that Ransom Williams had a productive career in Egyptology. This edition is the first book-length discussion of Ransom Williams’ life and career. It is available online.

Sheppard’s research focuses on the history of Egyptology in the U.S. and in the U.K., and especially women’s roles in the discipline. She finds that telling the life stories of women in Egyptology is not only interesting, but it is also crucial to fully understanding the founding and development of the discipline.