Sir
On behalf of the University of New Mexico (UNM), there are three points I wish to make in response to the News story “University buildings named on shaky ground” (Nature 426, 374; 2003) about the UNM Center for Archeological Research and its benefactor Frank Hibben.
First, scientific controversy is the norm, rather than the exception, when it comes to research. It is quite different from scientific misconduct or fraud. Second, as noted in the News story, no allegation of scientific misconduct has ever been filed concerning Hibben's work in any of the venues in which such charges can be filed. Third, in view of the previous points, resurrecting decades-old controversies eighteen months after Hibben's death and characterizing them as fraud is unworthy of Nature. As your News story pointed out, “he was a mentor to many of today's leading US archaeologists, and is widely credited with popularizing modern archaeology”.
We feel that these points and his many research and teaching accomplishments put our decision to name the Hibben Center in his honour on solid, not shaky, ground.
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Yates, T. Hibben was not proved guilty of misconduct. Nature 427, 393 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/427393d
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/427393d