Ray T. Matheny papers, approximately 1942-2016
Scope and Contents
Records and correspondence regarding Ray Matheny's World War II service in the Army Air Corps as a B-17 flight crew engineer, dating from 1942 to 2016. Also Matheny's research records regarding World War II relating to his service (1942-1944) and time as a POW at Stalag XVII-B, including two pieces of barbed wire from the camp (1944-1945). Later email correspondence generated in the 1990’s and early 2000’s regarding POW reunions and research for Matheny's book Rite of Passage is also present as well as papers and emails garnered from involvement in the 379th Bomb Group WWII Association. There is also included an oral history of Matheny on cassette tape.
Dates
- approximately 1942-2016
Creator
- Matheny, Ray T. (creator, Person)
- Ryan, George M. (George Michael), 1909-1983 (contributor, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Donor restricted until 2022, with the exception of family members authorized by Ray T. Matheny or Deanne Matheny. Permission to use materials must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from the Ray T. Matheny family papers must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Coordinating Committee.
Biographical History
Ray T. Matheny (1925- ) is a WWII Army Air Force veteran and a retired professor of anthropology at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
Ray Thomas Matheny, Jr. was born February 15, 1925 to Edna Ryan Matheny and Ray Thomas Matheny in Los Angeles, California. Matheny enlisted to serve in WWII in 1942, and was assigned to be the mechanic on a B-17 flight crew. In January 1944, Matheny became a prisoner of war, eventually assigned to Stalag XVII-B. When the war ended, he worked as a mechanic for Western Air Lines before again joining the military to serve in the Korean War. He got a BA from Brigham Young University in 1960 and a PhD in anthropology from the University of Oregon in 1968. Matheny taught at BYU for many years, while participating in archaeological digs to Mayan cities and maintaining connections to the New World Archeological Foundation. Matheny was recognized by the government of Campeche for his contributions to Mayan Archeology in 2002. On May 1, 2009, Matheny published an account of his experience serving in WWII titled Rite of Passage: A Teenager's Chronicle of Combat and Captivity in Nazi Germany. Matheny currently lives in Lindon, Utah with his wife.
Biographical History
George M. Ryan (1909-1983) was an aviator in California.
George Michael Ryan was born on October 2, 1909 in Inglewood, California to Nellie O’Connor Ryan and Michael Ryan. He worked as a pilot for over thirty years. Beginning training in 1929 with the Western College of Aeronautics in Los Angeles where he got his pilot's license, Ryan went on to get his transport license at the California Aerial Transport flying school. Ryan eventually got a job flying for Western Air Lines. In the thirties, Ryan mostly did local flights throughout California and began working for Pilot Meat Service in 1940. On May 18, 1939 Ryan married Marian W. Antrim in Weber, Utah. In 1943, Ryan enlisted in the military and served piloting planes throughout the Western United States. After the war, Ryan continued doing commercial flights serving the greater Western United States until 1962. Ryan is the maternal uncle of Ray T. Matheny and greatly influenced Matheny with his love of aviation. Ryan died on August 15, 1983.
Extent
1 box
1 cartons
24 folder
1 oversize box (0.25 linear ft.)
Language of Materials
English
Repository Details
Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States