In 1929 he directed a field expedition for the Colorado Museum of Natural History. He conducted archaeological surveys of the American plains area including Eastern Colorado, 1930-1933; Eastern Wyoming, 1931; Western Nebraska, 1933; Northeast New Mexico, 1934-1935; Southern Wyoming, 1935-1939; and Southern Colorado, 1940-1943. Renaud deposited artifacts from his field expeditions in the University of Denver Anthropology Museum. His papers contain field notes, archaeological survey manuscripts with original sketched site maps and artifact drawings, photographs, maps, journal articles, newspaper clippings, and microfilm.

He conducted research on the Olmec and Mayan peoples in the western hemisphere and traveled through Mexico and Central America to visit the monuments and ruins of these civilizations. He chronicled the similarities between the religious, astronomical and mythological aspects of the old and new world cultures.

She was born in Ossining, New York on August 22, 1884 and graduated from Vassar College in 1905 with a B.A. in comparative literature. She earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Columbia University in 1934 and worked for the U.S. Indian Service (later the Bureau of Indian Affairs). Underhill was involved in the Indian Visiting Program of the American Friends Service Committee, a peace and service organization affiliated with the Quaker Church. Her publications that have manuscripts in this collection include Earth people: the story of the Navaho; First came the family; Red Man's religion; Red Man's America; and Southwest Indians. Ruth M. Underhill's papers consist primarily of materials from 1950-1969 and include course materials from her teaching at the University of Denver: lecture notes, exams, syllabi, course descriptions, and bibliographies. Her work with Native American tribes in education, training, employment and political issues is reflected in the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs publications and memos, newspaper clippings, newspapers, newsletters, convention papers, booklets, and correspondence. Also includes manuscripts, galley proofs, and typescripts of books as well as journal articles, journal reprints.