Restrictions on Access
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Preferred Citation
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Processing Information
Biography/History
Scope and Content
Organization and Arrangement
Title: Frederic Hicks papers
Collection number: 2238
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
7.0 linear ft.
(7 carton boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1955-2012
Abstract: This collection documents the activities and writings of Frederic Hicks. Hicks was a distinguished scholar of Mesoamerican
ethnohistory and anthropology. The collection chronicles Hicks' work at Cerro Portezuelo, his editing of the Codex Vergara,
and his professional life at the University of Louisville.
Language of Materials: Materials are primarily in English and Spanish, with some materials in German.
Physical Location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Creator:
Hicks, Frederic, 1928-
Restrictions on Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Frederic Hicks Papers (Collection 2238). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Estate of Fred Hicks, 2014.
Processing Information
Biography/History
Frederic Hicks was a distinguished scholar of Mesoamerican ethnohistory and anthropology. He was born in New Orleans on January
7, 1928, and was raised in Connecticut. After completing his Bachelors in Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, he
earned his Ph.D. at UCLA, working on George Brainerd’s archaeological project at Cerro Portezuelo, Mexico and coauthoring
“The Transition from Classic to Postclassic at Cerro Portezuelo” with H.B. Nicholson in 1962. He then received a Fulbright
teaching grant to study and work in Paraguay for three years.
In 1965, Hicks began teaching at the University of Louisville, eventually becoming Chair of the Anthropology Department. He
was very active in the local progressive social justice community, alongside his wife Dr. Judith Joel. Hicks made fundamental
contributions to anthropological understandings of pre-Columbian Aztec society, including the nature of taxation, tribute,
and labor organization, the political dynamics of local and imperial organizations, and the social organization and economic
stratification of the empire. He served as President and Chair of the Robert F. Heizer Prize Committee for the American Society
for Ethnohistory, as well as organizing numerous conference sessions and symposia on Anthropology and Ethnohistory.
After his retirement, Hicks returned to his research on Cerro Portezuelo, hoping to complete a book on the project. His most
recent article about the site’s architecture was published in Ancient Mesoamerica shortly before his death. He also co-edited
an annotated facsimile edition of the Codex Vergara, an Aztec cadastral document drawn up by the Spanish conquerors of Mexico.
The project reflects his decades of experience in Mexican archives, his deep knowledge of anthropology and ethnohistorical
literature, and extensive personal collection of source materials.
Frederic Hicks participated in trips to China, Cuba, Iran, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan after his retirement, continuing to research
and write academically almost until his last hour. He died July 9, 2013 in Louisville at age 85, after being diagnosed with
lung cancer.
Scope and Content
The collection spans 1955 to 2012, with the bulk of materials coming from 1960 to 1990. The collection documents Hicks’ decades
of experience in Mexican archives, his deep knowledge of anthropology and ethnohistorical literature, and his extensive personal
collection of source materials, as well as his contributions to anthropological understandings of pre-Columbian Aztec society.
Materials are largely textual, comprising research files, correspondence, article manuscripts, and field notes. Among other
formats are photographs and illustrations. Also included is a file from Hicks’ executrix, with local obituaries and Hicks’
most recent CV. Some of the significant organizations and topics represented in these files are: the American Society for
Ethnohistory, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Louisville, the American Civil Liberties Union
of Kentucky, Cerro Portezuelo, the Codex Vergara, and the Aztec Empire.
Organization and Arrangement
This collection has been arranged in the following series:
- Series 1: Cerro Portezuelo (1960-2012)
- Series 2: Codex Vergara (2003-2012)
- Series 3: Personal and Professional Correspondence (1955-2012)
- Series 4: Field Notebooks and Journals (1958-2010)
The collection has been organized at the box level.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Hicks, Frederic, 1928- -- Archives