Franz Boas

Franz Boas
Born	(1858-07-09)July 9, 1858 Minden, Westphalia, Germany
Died	December 21, 1942(1942-12-21) (aged 84) New York, U.S.
Education	Ph.D. in Physics, University of Kiel (1881)
Alma mater	Heidelberg University Bonn University University of Kiel
Occupation	Anthropologist
Spouse(s)	Marie Krackowizer Boas (1861–1929)
Children	Helene Boas Yampolsky (1888–1963) Ernst Philip Boas (1891–1955) Hedwig Boas (1893/94) Gertrud Boas (1897–1924) Henry Herbert Donaldson Boas (1899–1925) Marie Franziska Boas (1902–1987)
Parent(s)	Meier Boas (1823–1899), Sophie Meyer Boas (1828–1916)
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Franz Uri Boas (/ˈfrɑːnz ˈboʊ.æz/; German: [ˈboːas]; July 9, 1858 – December 21, 1942) was a German-American anthropologist and a pioneer of modern anthropology who has been called the "Father of American Anthropology". His work is associated with the movement of anthropological historicism.

Studying in Germany, Boas was awarded a doctorate in 1881 in physics while also studying geography. He then participated in a geographical expedition to northern Canada where he became fascinated with the culture and language of the Baffin Island Inuit. He went on to do field work with the indigenous cultures and languages of the Pacific Northwest. In 1887 he emigrated to the United States where he first worked as a museum curator at the Smithsonian, and in 1899 became professor of anthropology at Columbia University where he remained for the rest of his career. Through his students, many of whom went on to found anthropology departments and research programmes inspired by their mentor, Boas profoundly influenced the development of American anthropology. Among his most significant students were Manuel Gamio, A. L. Kroeber, Ruth Benedict, Edward Sapir, Margaret Mead, Melville Herskovits, and Zora Neale Hurston.

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