Alonzo W. Pond papers

Excerpt from: The Janesville Gazette, Tuesday, December 30, 1986, (edited)

Alonzo William Pond, 92, a well-known anthropologist, world explorer and Janesville native, died Thursday in his Minocqua home. Born June 18, 1894, in Janesville, Pond graduated from Beloit College in 1918. He married Dorothy Long on July 20, 1926. Assistant curator of the Logan Museum at Beloit College from 1925 to 1931, he was leader of the Logan Sahara Expedition in 1925-26 and two African expeditions, one in 1926-27 and another in 1929-30. He participated in numerous other expeditions to such locations as France, Algeria and Asia.

Pond explored Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, where he was in charge of removing prehistoric Indian artifacts, and contributed to numerous studies of prehistoric man. Also a writer, Pond moved to Minocqua in 1958, where he operated the Wisconsin Gardens for 11 years. He was a member of the AARP, the Chicago Chapter of Sigma XI and the Explorers Club of New York.

Original footage of Pond's exhibitions was found recently at the Logan Museum and grafted into a documentary, "Reliving the Past: Alonzo Pond and the 1930 Logan African Exhibition" by former Beloit College student Michael Tarabulski. The film has won honors from two anthropology associations.

Surviving Pond are his wife: a son, Arthur of Park Falls; a daughter, the Rev. Chomingwen Pond of Claremont, Calif.; and two grandchildren.