Mildred Trotter
Encyclopedia
Mildred Trotter was an important 20th century forensic anthropologist
.
Trotter was born in Monaca, Pennsylvania
. She received her B.A. in zoology and physiology from Mount Holyoke College
in 1920 and her Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis
in 1924. She spent a year on fellowship at Oxford University and was a professor at Washington University Medical School for the rest of her career.
Trotter's work with Goldine C. Gleser in 1952 created statistical regression formulae
for the calculation of stature
estimates from human long bones, based on a population of American casualties of the Korean War
and the Terry collection
of human remains. These formulae are still widely applied in the field.
She was a member of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists
and the group's president from 1955 until 1957. The Mildred Trotter Prize, named in her honor for her work on skeletal biology, is given to students for exceptional work in the field of physical anthropology
.
Forensic anthropology
Forensic anthropology is the application of the science of physical anthropology and human osteology in a legal setting, most often in criminal cases where the victim's remains are in the advanced stages of decomposition. A forensic anthropologist can assist in the identification of deceased...
.
Trotter was born in Monaca, Pennsylvania
Monaca, Pennsylvania
Monaca is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States along the Ohio River, northwest of Pittsburgh. Monaca was first incorporated as Phillipsburg in 1840, and had been known by that name since the 1820s. In 1892, the name of the borough was changed to Monaca in honor of the Native...
. She received her B.A. in zoology and physiology from Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
in 1920 and her Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
in 1924. She spent a year on fellowship at Oxford University and was a professor at Washington University Medical School for the rest of her career.
Trotter's work with Goldine C. Gleser in 1952 created statistical regression formulae
Deming regression
In statistics, Deming regression, named after W. Edwards Deming, is an errors-in-variables model which tries to find the line of best fit for a two-dimensional dataset...
for the calculation of stature
Human height
Human height is the distance from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head in a human body standing erect.When populations share genetic background and environmental factors, average height is frequently characteristic within the group...
estimates from human long bones, based on a population of American casualties of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and the Terry collection
Terry Collection
The Robert J. Terry Anatomical Skeletal Collection is a collection of some 1,728 human skeletons held by the Department of Anthropology of the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA.It was created by Robert J...
of human remains. These formulae are still widely applied in the field.
She was a member of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists
American Association of Physical Anthropologists
The American Association of Physical Anthropologists is an American-based international scientific society of physical anthropologists. It was formed in 1930, with Morris Steggerda as one of its founding members. They have 1,700 members. They publish the American Journal of Physical...
and the group's president from 1955 until 1957. The Mildred Trotter Prize, named in her honor for her work on skeletal biology, is given to students for exceptional work in the field of physical anthropology
Physical anthropology
Biological anthropology is that branch of anthropology that studies the physical development of the human species. It plays an important part in paleoanthropology and in forensic anthropology...
.