Background

Alexander Francis Chamberlain was born on January 12, 1865 in was born in Kenninghall, Norfolk, England. He was the son of George and Maria (Anderton) Chamberlain. He was brought to America as a child, the family first settling in New York State near Rochester, but soon moving to Peterborough, Canada.

Education

He attended the University of Toronto, from which he graduated in 1886 with honors in languages and ethnology. While an undergraduate he had come under the influence of Sir Daniel Wilson, vice-chancellor of the University and a Canadian pioneer in anthropology, and it was doubtless due to this contact that young Chamberlain turned from modern languages to anthropology. After his graduation, he made field studies among the Mississuga Indians, the results of which were presented in his thesis for the M. A. degree in 1889. This work was of such merit that he was granted a fellowship in anthropology at Clark University, where he was awarded the Ph. D. degree in 1892.

Career

Chamberlain remained at Clark until his death, beginning as lecturer in anthropology, 1893, and reaching the grade of professor in 1911. At the outset of his academic career he made field studies among the Kootenai Indians in western Canada, giving special attention to their language, but he did not carry his field-work further, devoting his time to the printed materials available. In addition to numerous special papers on anthropological subjects, he wrote two books on childhood: The Child: A Study in the Evolution of Man (1893); The Child and Childhood in Folk-Thought (1896). For many years he was editor of the Journal of American Folk-Lore and the Journal of Religious Psychology, and he contributed to each number of the American Anthropologist, brief comments on current articles. Mention should also be made of his work on the Indian languages of South America, and the preparation of a linguistic map for the same. Chamberlain took a deep interest in his neighbors and the community, served as an alderman in Worcester, Massachussets, and as chairman of the Democratic Committee. He believed in prohibition and woman suffrage, was a follower of Henry George, and was a firm adherent of the Unitarian Church. The rights of oppressed peoples and classes was a favorite topic with him, and he was in demand as a local campaigner, and speaker in the people's forums, addressing his audiences in English, French, German, or Italian, as the occasion required. A volume of his poems, among which were a number of hymns, was issued in 1904.

Achievements

• He was awarded the first Ph. D. degree given for work in anthropology at an American university.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The Contribution of the Negro to Human Civilization

    (Vol 1, Pages 25 It is the reproduction of the old book pu...)

  • Poems

    (This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curat...)

  • The language of the Mississaga Indians of Skugog. A contribution to the linguistics of the Algonkian tribes of Canada

    (The language of the Mississaga Indians of Skugog. A contr...)

  • The Child and Childhood in Folk-Thought Studies of the Activities and Influences of the Child Among Primitive Peoples, Their Analogues and Survivals in the Civilization of To-Day

Personality

Large-limbed and awkward in appearance, with a high-pitched voice and quick jerky gestures, he was nevertheless an effective speaker.

Interests

• A lover of literature, especially poetry, not only did he treasure the lines of his favorite poets, but himself broke into verse at every opportunity.

Connections

In 1898 he married Isabel Cushman.

Father:

George Chamberlain

Mother:

Maria (Anderton) Chamberlain

Spouse:

Isabel Cushman