Anthropologist. Prominent American anthropologist who changed the whole direction of the discipline with his emphasis on neo-cultural evolution. He founded the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan and trained the next generation of illustrious anthropologists there like Marshall Sahlins, Elman Service, Robert Carneiro, Eric Wolf, and Napoleon Chagnon. Through his students as well as his own research, his influence spread far beyond the University of Michigan which became known as the number one university for graduate studies in anthropology. He was also a President of the American Anthropological Association. He wrote prolifically, and some of his books included The Evolution of Culture, The Science of Culture, and The Acoma Indians. He famously defined culture as "a class of things and events, dependent upon symboling, considered in an extrasomatic context." He was both insightful and controversial.
Anthropologist. Prominent American anthropologist who changed the whole direction of the discipline with his emphasis on neo-cultural evolution. He founded the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan and trained the next generation of illustrious anthropologists there like Marshall Sahlins, Elman Service, Robert Carneiro, Eric Wolf, and Napoleon Chagnon. Through his students as well as his own research, his influence spread far beyond the University of Michigan which became known as the number one university for graduate studies in anthropology. He was also a President of the American Anthropological Association. He wrote prolifically, and some of his books included The Evolution of Culture, The Science of Culture, and The Acoma Indians. He famously defined culture as "a class of things and events, dependent upon symboling, considered in an extrasomatic context." He was both insightful and controversial.
Bio by: Sharlotte Neely Donnelly
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