Melville J. Herskovits | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 10, 1895 Bellefontaine, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | February 25, 1963 (aged 67) Evanston, Illinois, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago Columbia University |
| Known for | African-American studies African studies |
| Spouse |
Frances Shapiro (m. 1924) |
| Children | Jean Herskovits |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Anthropology |
| Institutions | Northwestern University |
| Doctoral advisor | Franz Boas |
| Doctoral students | William Bascom, Erika Eichhorn Bourguignon |
Melville Jean Herskovits (September 10, 1895 – February 25, 1963) was an American anthropologist who helped to first establish African and African Diaspora studies in American academia. He is known for exploring the cultural continuity from African cultures as expressed in African-American communities. He worked with his wife Frances (Shapiro) Herskovits, also an anthropologist, in the field in South America, the Caribbean and Africa. They jointly wrote several books and monographs.