Alfred Louis Kroeber (1876–1960) was an American cultural anthropologist who helped shape modern anthropology. He was the first PhD student of Franz Boas at Columbia University, earning his doctorate in 1901, and became the first anthropology professor at the University of California-Berkeley.
Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, Kroeber initially studied English and literature before shifting to anthropology. His research spanned Native American cultures, archaeology, linguistics, and social structures. He documented Ishi, the last known Yahi, preserving invaluable ethnographic records. His influence extended beyond academia, shaping cultural relativism and historical anthropology. He was also the father of science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin.
Kroeber’s major works include Anthropology (1923, revised 1948,) one of the first general textbooks on the subject, and Configurations of Culture Growth (1945,) analyzing cultural development. His Handbook of the Indians of California (1925) remains a key reference in Native American studies. He also contributed to Peruvian Archaeology in 1942 (1944) and Yokuts Dialect Survey (1963.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Alfred L. Kroeber
Anthropology is the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of the humanities.
—Alfred L. Kroeber
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