Abstract
The Byrd Wall Sawyer Collection primarily consists of Byrd's research files on Nevada from 1930 to 1970. The materials concentrate on her monograph, "Nevada Nomads," as well as her co-authored textbook, "Here is Nevada." The collection also includes speeches, journal articles, memos, research note cards and papers, correspondence, informational booklets and pamphlets, maps, photographs, audiovisual materials, and newspaper articles and clippings.
Finding Aid PDF
Date
Extent
Scope and Contents Note
The Byrd Wall Sawyer collection is comprised of Byrd's research papers, and contains topics specifically related to Western and Northern Nevada's history from 1930 to 1970. The collection includes speeches, photographs, correspondence, and newspaper articles and clippings relating to Reno, Carson City, Virginia City, Tonopah, Goldfield, Fallon, and Washoe County. The collection also contains research notes and copies of her monograph, "Nevada Nomads," and her co-authored textbook, "Here is Nevada." The collection includes slides of foreign countries, sound recordings of interviews, and audiovisual materials, such as an anniversary celebration for Boulder City.
Access Note
Collection is open for research, with the exception of materials that are restricted to protect personally identifiable information. Restrictions are noted at the file level of this inventory. Where use copies do not exist, production of use copies is required before access will be granted; this may delay research requests. Advanced notice is required.
Restricted materials are housed in box 02.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
These records are organized into three series:
Series I. Professional files, 1893-1977;
Series II. Publications, 1904-1974;
Series III. Transparencies and audiovisual materials, undated.
Biographical / Historical Note
Byrd Sawyer was a noted historian, librarian, and educator in Nevada during the mid-twentieth century. Born Byrd Fanita Wall in Warrensburg, Missouri on May 5, 1895, she later relocated to Reno, Nevada where she met her husband Harry W. Sawyer (M.D.). The couple married on September 11, 1923 and moved to Berkeley, California, where Byrd attended the University of California, Berkeley. Byrd attained her Master of Arts degree in History in 1931. Sawyer’s thesis was titled, “The Gold and Silver Rushes of Nevada: 1900-1910.” Byrd and Harry relocated to Fallon, Nevada, where Byrd became engaged in both academic and philanthropic activities throughout Western and Northern Nevada.
Byrd Sawyer worked as the librarian at Churchill County High School from the 1930s through the 1950s. She served as a member of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO), Chapter X in Carson City, Nevada. She also created the organization’s fourth Nevada chapter, Chapter D of Fallon in 1927, and served as its first president. Sawyer’s role in the organization heightened as she became the Nevada PEO’s first State Organizer, and in 1949 she served as the Nevada State Chapter president. Sawyer also spoke at many meetings of the American Association of University Women at the University of Nevada, Reno, and toured Nevada providing histories of places to their local communities.
Byrd Sawyer was noted for writing the first complete history of the Nevada sheep industry. Her monograph, “Nevada Nomads: A Story of the Sheep Industry,” was published in 1971. In recognition of her research and writing skills, she received the 1972 Annual Award for the Best Writer of Nevada History from the Nevada Historical Society. Sawyer also co-wrote two textbooks prior to her monograph, including “Our State Nevada” (1956) and “Here is Nevada” (1965). She assisted in writing the first history of Nevada’s public education system. The book was called “Inside Nevada Schools: A Challenge for the Future” (1976), created by the Nevada Retired Teachers Association in observance of Nevada’s Bicentennial. Sawyer served as the State Chairman for the project, which was a nationwide effort of regional history projects created by the National Retired Teachers Association. Sawyer also co-wrote a history monograph titled, “The History Of Fifty Years of Mining At Tonopah, 1900-1950” (1976), with Russell Elliott and Jay Carpenter.
Byrd Wall Sawyer continued her active interest in Nevada history until her death in October 15, 1981. Byrd was the step mother to Grant Sawyer, the Governor of Nevada from 1959-1967.
Sources:
“Byrd Sawyer honored by PEO.”
“New book details Nevada education.”
“Bicentennial Book Features Teachers’ Works.”
“Retired Teachers to Record Nevada History.”
Preferred Citation
Byrd Wall Sawyer Collection, 1893-1977. MS-00316. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were received periodically from 1974-1990; accession numbers 90-52, 86-33, 74-347, T-134, and T-179.
Processing Note
In 2018, as part of an archival backlog elimination project, Lee Hanover rehoused and arranged the materials, wrote the finding aid and entered the data into Archives Space.