William C. Sturtevant
Encyclopedia
Dr. William C. Sturtevant (1926 Morristown, New Jersey
— March 2, 2007) was an anthropologist and ethnologist.
He is best known as the general editor of the 20-volume Handbook of North American Indians
.
Renowned anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss
described the work as
in 1949, and from Yale University
with a Ph.D. in 1955. He served first as a research anthropologist for the Bureau of American Ethnology
before being appointed Curator of North American Ethnology in the U.S. National Museum (later the National Museum of Natural History
), Smithsonian Institution
.
Sturtevant argued for the importance of material culture
in anthropology
, particularly in incorporating the contents of museum collections.
. He was married to Theda Maw from 1952 to 1986; they had three children. Sturtevant remarried in 1990, to linguist Sally McLendon. Sturtevant died on March 2, 2007 from emphysema
.
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
— March 2, 2007) was an anthropologist and ethnologist.
He is best known as the general editor of the 20-volume Handbook of North American Indians
Handbook of North American Indians
The Handbook of North American Indians is a monographic series of edited scholarly and reference volumes in Americanist studies, published by the Smithsonian Institution beginning in 1978. To date, fifteen volumes have been published...
.
Renowned anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Claude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist, and has been called, along with James George Frazer, the "father of modern anthropology"....
described the work as
an absolutely indispensable tool that should be found on the shelves of all libraries, public and private alike."
Life
He graduated from the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1949, and from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
with a Ph.D. in 1955. He served first as a research anthropologist for the Bureau of American Ethnology
Bureau of American Ethnology
The Bureau of American Ethnology was established in 1879 by an act of Congress for the purpose of transferring archives, records and materials relating to the Indians of North America from the Interior Department to the Smithsonian Institution...
before being appointed Curator of North American Ethnology in the U.S. National Museum (later the National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
), Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
.
Sturtevant argued for the importance of material culture
Material culture
In the social sciences, material culture is a term that refers to the relationship between artifacts and social relations. Studying a culture's relationship to materiality is a lens through which social and cultural attitudes can be discussed...
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...
, particularly in incorporating the contents of museum collections.
Family
He was the eldest son of the geneticist Alfred SturtevantAlfred Sturtevant
Alfred Henry Sturtevant was an American geneticist. Sturtevant constructed the first genetic map of a chromosome in 1913. Throughout his career he worked on the organism Drosophila melanogaster with Thomas Hunt Morgan...
. He was married to Theda Maw from 1952 to 1986; they had three children. Sturtevant remarried in 1990, to linguist Sally McLendon. Sturtevant died on March 2, 2007 from emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
.
External links
- Jason Baird JacksonJason Baird JacksonJason Baird Jackson is an associate professor of folklore in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University Bloomington. At IUB, he has served as Chair of the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology and as Director of the Folklore Institute...
, William C. Sturtevant (1926-2007), Museum Anthropology blog. Sunday, March 4, 2007.