A Man of Many Parts: The Life and Legacy of Francis Willey Kelsey

When Kelsey's numerous commitments kept him in Michigan, the task of investigating possible acquisitions for the University was entrusted to his international network of friends and colleagues. One was his former student Walter Dennison, who in 1897 had a chance to examine the private collection of the parish priest Giuseppe De Criscio. In total, the museum has 1,060 objects from De Criscio's collection, many of which are not on display.

Driven by an antiquarian spirit, De Criscio had amassed a valuable collection of archaeological materials and Latin inscriptions. Walter Dennison formed a cordial relationship with the priest and received permission to study and later publish some of the stones. When Dennison discovered that De Criscio wished to sell his collection, he immediately contacted Kelsey, who worked intensely to find a donor to support the purchase. Thanks to the generosity of Henry P. Glover of Ypsilanti, the first objects arrived in 1899; a second group was purchased from De Criscio six years later, and after the priest's death his sister contacted the University about acquiring the remainder of the collection.

Brandon S. Green