Craig and Betsy Sheldon Share a Life of Learning and Discovery

Craig and Betsy Sheldon have built a life as richly layered as the landscapes they’ve studied. Their shared journey — rooted in archaeology, biology, civic service, and education — began fittingly at a dig site in 1963.

Betsy and Craig Sheldon at Moon Lake Library

“We met at an archaeological field school that was sponsored by The University of Alabama,” Betsy explains. “It took place at the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter near Tuscumbia.” The spot where they met happens to be an archaeological site containing evidence of human habitation from some 9,000 years ago. A perfect beginning for these two folks.

Craig remembers their meeting clearly: “It was a cave, the oldest known archaeological site in Alabama. There were 10 or 12 of us, and you go down, and you dig,” he says. “She was there, and she was the cutest one,” he says, grinning. “I was just intrigued right away.” As Craig puts it, they were both “book worms” and had many things in common.

That dig was the foundation of a partnership that would span decades, continents, and disciplines.

Craig’s love for history began along the beaches of Mobile Bay, where he spent boyhood days combing through shell middens and sherds of Native American pottery (his mother called the bay her “best babysitter”).

“That just grabbed me,” he says. And he wanted to know more. When Craig was about 13, he and a family friend made homemade metal detectors and traveled to Spanish Fort, where they found all sorts of Civil War artifacts. He was hooked on the search and study of artifacts and historic sites. “My course was set,” he says.

He later formalized his study of archaeology with an undergraduate degree from The University of Alabama; then an interest in Polynesian archaeology lured him to the University of Oregon, where he earned his master’s and PhD. Over the course of his career, he has conducted archaeological investigations across the Southeastern United States, the Philippines, and Yucatán, Mexico, among other places.

He was the inaugural Ranger Archaeologist at Russell Cave National Monument in Bridgeport, Alabama. He also taught at the University of West Georgia before spending 33 years at Auburn University at Montgomery, where he became Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Anthropology. His academic focus has consistently centered on the late prehistoric and early historic periods of the southeastern U.S.

Craig’s recollection of his study in Yucatan sweeps the listener up in vivid detail. “I got a fabulous opportunity to go, and that’s pure romance — the Mayan ruins, the works. We were working a site that was a classic pyramid and then there was a cave. That part of Yucatan is very dry. Way down inside the caves were pools, and people used to go down into the caves with pottery jars and bring water up. So I had to map this cave and record it. It was fabulous. You come around the corner and here are jade beads as big as your fist lying on the floor…there were skulls.” The stuff of movies.

Craig’s story can’t be told without mention of his father, whose life began in the mountains. Craig Sheldon Sr. grew up in Sewanee, Tennessee. He was a WWII Marine veteran who was a master carpenter and sculptor. He built by hand Fairhope’s Storybook Castles — now part of local lore and viewable online at fairhopecastle.com. He also founded the town’s arts and crafts festival. His legacy lives on through his sculptures, writings, and community projects.

That artistry and independent spirit left an indelible mark on Craig, who lovingly says, “I grew up knowing that I was the son of sort of a weird family.” Today, a full-size bronze statue of Craig Sheldon Sr. stands in downtown Fairhope.

Betsy, a native of Hartford, Connecticut, was a biology major with a strong interest in history. She was raised in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and came south to study at The University of Alabama. Both sides of her family had been in the Connecticut River Valley since the 1600s. Betsy’s generation is the first in the family to live their adult lives outside New England.

Her early influences came from being steeped in the civic-minded culture of Longmeadow. “It was a town that was run by the classic New England town meeting,” she recalls. “I can remember my folks making sure the annual town report was published in the local newspaper, and they knew what the bills were; they went to the meeting, which would start right after dinner and go into the wee hours of the morning. They hoped that everything would be handled in one night, but I remember when they would have to go back the second night.”

Besty’s mother was active in school programs and women’s clubs; her father was a church deacon and Little League Baseball coach. Through this lens, Betsy formed her own foundation of volunteerism and public service.

Though Alabama was a world away from her family’s home, a program at the university compelled Betsy to move south. “I came to UA to study radio and television production,” she said. “It was one of the only programs in the country at that time. It was actually shortly after Alabama had set up its statewide TV network. I never ended up majoring in that, but that’s why I came here.” In searching for elective classes, she discovered an interest in anthropology — a choice that led to the momentous field school program where she met Craig.

Betsy earned her undergraduate degree in biology, followed by her master’s and PhD. Her education blended science and humanities into an interdisciplinary career. She worked with groundbreaking scientists, including Gregory Pincus, developer of the birth control pill. Betsy taught cultural geography, archaeology, and biology at the university level before founding SITE, Inc., a nationally recognized economic development consulting firm based in Montgomery. She remains engaged with higher education as a member of the UA College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Board.

During her years in economic development, Betsy became a pilot in order to better understand airport development projects. “I needed to see how the airfield’s layout worked for pilots using it,” she says. “And I needed to get there quickly.” She’s still an SEL licensed pilot but doesn’t fly anymore. Craig flew with her from time to time, but Betsy had to draw the line when her archaeologist passenger demanded they keep flying lower and lower so he could check out the topography below.

A Shared Life of Learning
and Work

The Sheldons married in 1966 after spending two years apart focusing on their respective studies. Their careers were full but never far apart. “We were always on the move, but always moving in the same direction,” Craig says.

Some years later, Betsy came to Mentone initially to consult on a potential Native American educational facility in the area. That facility did not come to fruition, but Betsy was struck by her surroundings. She noticed not only a geographic similarity (mixed mesic forest characterized by slopes, ravines, hardwood and coniferous trees, and other attributes) between Lookout Mountain and the New England towns of her childhood, but also the strong spirit of community shared by both areas. “It reminded me of the New England towns I grew up in. People are invested here. They show up.”

So she called her husband with a frank message, “I found where we’re going to retire.”

Craig took to the idea, because, after growing up a flatlander in Fairhope, he fell in love with the mountainous landscapes here. They bought property in Mentone in 1999, moved permanently in 2017, and quickly got involved.

The magic of Lookout Mountain hasn’t worn off for either of them. “Every day I wake up, there’s something new,” Craig says. “I just look out the windows — we’ve got forest right up against the windows —and there’s something new out there…butterflies, lizards, and critters like that, so to me it’s a wonderful place. Then I discovered the people, and oh boy — they remind me of my boyhood home in Fairhope, which was an artists’ colony. The people up here are just delightful,” he says. “This is a strong community here.”

Craig puts it plain and simple when describing the spirit of Mentone: “This town lifts so far above its weight,” he says. “More people volunteer here than any place I’ve ever seen. It’s a true community.” After living in many other places, Craig feels the connections and energy in Mentone are rare and special. “This community will reach out and grab you and say, ‘you want to be a volunteer, right?’”

Craig and Betsy share a legacy of giving. They have endowed scholarships at The University of Alabama in museum studies and biological sciences — a reflection of their enduring commitment to academic excellence and student support.

Craig serves on the Alabama National Register Review Board and the board of MERF, and he volunteers at the St. Joseph’s food pantry. Betsy chairs the Friends of the Moon Lake Library and also helps at the pantry — where she’s known for handing out not just produce, but also recipes. “We try to make things a little easier for families,” she says.

The couple also plays a part in the life of The Groundhog. “We have a newspaper route!” Betsy exclaims. They, with dogs in tow, deliver to Chattooga County.

Much as they love staying busy here, the Sheldons still have a keen sense of adventure. Since retirement, they’ve traveled the Panama Canal twice — once each direction — explored French Polynesia, New Zealand, and Europe and explored Montreal, where Betsy’s seven-greats grandmother was taken after being captured by French military/Abenaki Native American raiders during Queen Anne’s War.

When asked about what interests them about the mountain where Mentone lies, Craig points to the parking lot outside the library and says, “You walk out here on this ground, that’s 300 million years old.” He went on to talk about the Native Americans in the area and the reasons they came up onto the mountain. The Sheldons are an endless fount of fascinating information. Craig is planning a library talk, “Why Is There a Lookout Mountain.”

Though their curiosity may take them far and wide, their Mentone cabin and their fellow townsfolk are magnets that keep them grounded here.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Craig says. “This is home.”

As members of this community, it’s safe to say the Sheldons lift far above their weight as well.