Herbert Halpert
Encyclopedia
Dr. Herbert Halpert was an American anthropologist and folklorist, specialised in the collection and study of both folk song and narrative.
emerged in his adolescence and remain throughout his life. Consistent with his choice, earned an M.A. in Anthropology
from Columbia University
, where he studied with Ruth Benedict
and George Herzog, and a Ph.D.
in English from Indiana University
, under the guidance of Stith Thompson
. Both dissertations were based on field studies of American folklore.
During World War II
, Halpert served in the Alaskan Division of the Air Transport Command
of the U.S. Army Air Corps. After the conflict, he became Professor and Head of the Department of English at Murray State College
, in Kentucky
, where he encouraged his students to collect local traditions. Between 1956-1960, he became Dean and Professor of English and Sociology at Blackburn College, in Illinois
. In 1960, he was also Visiting Professor at the University of Arkansas and in the following year he moved to New York
, where he lived until 1962, teaching at the State University of New York
.
In the autumn of 1962, Halpert became Associate Professor of English at the Memorial University of Newfoundland
(Canada
), where in 1968, he founded the Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA) and developed most of the work in folklore that became internationally renowned.
Biography
Herbert Halpert's interest in folkloreFolklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
emerged in his adolescence and remain throughout his life. Consistent with his choice, earned an M.A. in Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, where he studied with Ruth Benedict
Ruth Benedict
Ruth Benedict was an American anthropologist, cultural relativist, and folklorist....
and George Herzog, and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in English from Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, under the guidance of Stith Thompson
Stith Thompson
Stith Thompson was an American scholar of folklore. He is the "Thompson" of the Aarne-Thompson classification system.- Biography :...
. Both dissertations were based on field studies of American folklore.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Halpert served in the Alaskan Division of the Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
of the U.S. Army Air Corps. After the conflict, he became Professor and Head of the Department of English at Murray State College
Murray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
, in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, where he encouraged his students to collect local traditions. Between 1956-1960, he became Dean and Professor of English and Sociology at Blackburn College, in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. In 1960, he was also Visiting Professor at the University of Arkansas and in the following year he moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where he lived until 1962, teaching at the State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
.
In the autumn of 1962, Halpert became Associate Professor of English at the Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
(Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
), where in 1968, he founded the Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA) and developed most of the work in folklore that became internationally renowned.
Academic life
- M.A. in Anthropology from Columbia University with the thesis "Folk Rhymes of New York City Children"
- Ph.D. in English from Indiana University with the thesis "Folktales and Legends of the New Jersey Pines: A Collection and Study"
- Visiting Professor of the University of Arkansas
- Associated Professor of English at the Memorial University of Newfoundland (from 1962 on)
- Professor Emeritus of Folklore at Memorial University
Works (selected)
- 1937: Folk Tunes from Mississippi (with Arthur Palmer Hudson and George Herzog)
- 1939: Folk-Songs Mainly from West Virginia (with John Harrington Cox and George Herzog)
- 1957: The Talking Turtle and Other Ozark Folk Tales (illustrated by Glen Rounds)
- 1969: Christmas Mumming in Newfoundland; Essays in Anthropology, Folklore, and History (a study about the Christmas mumming and its tipology)
- 1982: A Folklore Sampler From the Maritimes. With a Bibliographical Essay on the Folktale in English (a collection of folklore from the Canadian Maritimes)
- 1996: Folktales of Newfoundland (with J.D.A. Widdowson)
- 2002: Folklore: An Emerging Discipline. Selected Essays of Herbert Halpert (a selection of Herbert Halpert's essays on folklore)
About Halpert
- Kenneth S. Goldstein and Neil V. Rosenberg, eds. (1980). Folklore Studies in Honour of Herbert Halpert—A Festschrift
Discography
- Herbert Halpert New York City Collection (AFC 1938/002): folk songs collected by Halpert for the Federal Theatre Project between January, 1938-November, 1939.
- Herbert Halpert 1939 Southern States Recording Expedition (AFC 1939/005): songs and other records collected by Halpert for the Folk Arts Committee of the WPA and the Library of Congress between March–June, 1939