Frederic Ward Putnam
Frederic Ward Putnam | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | August 14, 1915 | (aged 76)
Nationality | American |
Scientific career | |
Fields | biologist and anthropology |
Institutions | Harvard University |
Doctoral advisor | Louis Agassiz |
Frederic Ward Putnam (April 16, 1839 – August 14, 1915) was an American anthropologist and biologist.[1]
Biography
Putnam was born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, the son of Ebenezer (1797–1876) and Elizabeth (Appleton) Putnam. After leaving college, Ebenezer had for a short time engaged in fitting young men for college, but soon went into business in Cincinnati as a commission merchant, a line in which he was successful. Recalled to Salem by his father's death in 1826, Ebenezer married there and devoted himself to the study and cultivation of plants and fruits, and involved himself in the Democratic Party in his county. Although frequently offered office, Ebenezer never accepted, except to serve as alderman in the so-called “model-government” of Salem when that town was first chartered as a city, and as postmaster of Salem.[2]
Frederic's early studies were at private schools, and with his father at home.
In 1864 Putnam became the first director of the Peabody Museum of Salem. He was closely involved with convincing George Peabody to put up the money to found the museum. In 1867 he was appointed superintendent of the East Indian Marine Society's Museum at Salem.[5]
In 1865, Putnam published a paper on “An Indian Grave and its Contents, on Winter Island, Salem, Massachusetts.” His archeological activity may be said to date from the publication of this paper, for, on looking over the long list of titles of his publications, it will be seen that, from this time, papers on early American man steadily increase in number, and the work of the zoologist practically ceases.[6]
In 1874 Putnam became the curator of the
Putnam was appointed the lead curator and head of the anthropology department in 1891 for the World's Columbian Exposition, to be held in Chicago in 1893. He spent much of the two years leading up to the exposition organizing and directing expeditions dispatched to all parts of the Americas and other parts of the world to gather natural history and ethnographic items for the exhibition. As the exposition was drawing to a close, Putnam agitated for a permanent home to be found for the collection of artifacts amassed under his supervision. Late in 1893 what was to become the Field Museum of Natural History was incorporated, opening the following year. Putnam held hopes of becoming the museum's first director but was unsuccessful.[9]
Putnam was also active in professional organizations, which were rapidly organizing. In 1882 he was elected a member of the
Putnam is widely known as the "Father of American Archaeology" for his contribution of scientific methods and direction of many of the nascent field's best students,[13] including Arthur C. Parker.[14]
He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts on 14 August 1915.[15]
Recognition
A species of Mexican snake,
See also
Notes
- ^ Putnam 1899
- ^ a b c The Cyclopædia of American Biography, 1918
- ^ a b Collier's, 1921
- ISBN 978-0-299-10320-0
- ^ Americana, 1920
- ^ Popular Science Monthly, September 1886
- ^ Wall text, All the World Is Here: Harvard’s Peabody Museum & the Invention of American Anthropology exhibition, Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Cambridge, MA
- ^ NIE, 1905
- ^ Alexander (1996), pp.55–56
- ^ American Antiquarian Society Members Directory
- ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
- ^ "Frederic Putnam". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
- ^ Dexter (1965), p.110
- ISBN 978-0-8061-3317-1
- ISBN 978-0-902198-84-5. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
- ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Putnam", p. 213).
References
- OCLC 33983419.
- Dexter, Ralph W. (May 1965). "Contributions of Frederic Ward Putnam to Ohio Archaeology". OCLC 292002046.
- OCLC 23679044.
- Putnam, F.W. (25 August 1899). "A Problem in American Anthropology". PMID 17736009.
- OCLC 11953868.
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the Popular Science Monthly. Vol. 29.
- New International Encyclopedia(1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
- Homans, James E., ed. (1918). . The Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: The Press Association Compilers, Inc.
- Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920). Encyclopedia Americana. .
- Reynolds, Francis J., ed. (1921). Collier's New Encyclopedia. New York: P. F. Collier & Son Company. .