Louis Robert Sullivan

Background

Louis was born in Houlton, Maine, United States, on May 21, 1892. He was the son of James and Mary (Mitchell) Sullivan.

Education

He was graduated from Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, in 1914, taught biology for a year in Tilton Seminary, Tilton and then went to Brown University as assistant in biology under Prof. H. E. Walter. He received the Ph. D. degree from Columbia University in 1922.

Career

In 1917 Sullivan was appointed assistant curator in physical anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and associate curator in 1924. His first important scientific contribution was a study of race differences in the articulation of the lower jaw, but the World War soon called him from the laboratory. He was assigned to duty as first lieutenant in the anthropological division of the surgeon-general's office to assist in compiling data on drafted men.

Later Sullivan was assigned to Camp Grant where he made a systematic anthropometric survey of all recruits, but unfortunately a fire in his quarters destroyed these records. At this cantonment he suffered a severe attack of influenza which permanently impaired his health, but upon his return to the Museum in New York he began to plan new programs of research.

He accepted with enthusiasm an opportunity to work at the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Hawaii on an intensive study of native races in the island countries of the Pacific. His objective here was not only to study native adults but also to observe the growth of children, especially in Hawaii where race crossing was operating on a large scale. Unfortunately, steadily declining health made a change of climate necessary, so, after two years, he went to Tucson, Arizona.

In this new environment he planned a study of race characters as observed among the Indians, Mexicans, and other types to be found in Arizona and neighboring states. He visited most of the United States Indian and public schools in the area, but, finally, when these data had been gathered, his vitality failed and he died at the age of thirty-three. Notwithstanding the difficulties under which he labored, Sullivan published during his brief career twenty-five papers in anthropology, at least nine of which are considered contributions of importance.

Though the bulk of the data gathered in Hawaii and the United States was left incomplete, his records were so clear and definite, his outlines for treatment so complete, that two major papers were subsequently issued, one covering the growth of children in Hawaii, the other the distinguishing face characters of North American Indians. A bibliography of his works appeared in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, October-December 1925.

In addition to these achievements Sullivan gave evidence of real genius in museum work particularly in dealing with the details of any exhibit demonstrating anatomical and race characteristics. His scientific work was characterized throughout by originality and accuracy of observation.

It is little short of a tragedy that Sullivan's early death in 1925 barred the possible realization of the main objective in his life plan.

Achievements

• Louis Robert Sullivan was famous for his special contribution, namely, he determined standard population areas in the United States, according to homogeneity in national and racial origins. The subsequent publication of his studies has shown them to be fundamentally basic in relation to the geographical distribution of anthropological types. Perhaps no other physical anthropologist possessed equal genius in setting up rating scales so that fruitful comparisons could be made, not only in the study of growth in size, but also in the establishment of race criteria.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Marquesan Somatology With Comparative Notes on Samoa and Tonga: Memoirs of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Volume IX, Number 2 (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from Marquesan Somatology With Comparative Notes ...)

  • Marquesan Somatology With Comparative Notes on Samoa and Tonga: Memoirs of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Volume IX, Number 2 (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from Marquesan Somatology With Comparative Notes ...)

  • Marquesan Somatology with Comparative Notes on Samoa and Tonga: Memoirs of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, V9, No. 2

    (Bayard Dominick Expedition, Publication No 6.)

Views

Almost from the start he set as his ultimate research objective the discovery of genetic relations among the known divisions of mankind, a problem that still remains peculiarly baffling.

His scientific faith was in precise observation and originality in classification, believing that the consistent analysis of human qualitative characters such as particular forms of eye, ear, nose, lips, etc. , rather than differences in measurement would point the way to genetic relations.

Connections

He was married on November 24, 1915, to Bessie Pearl Pathers, of Lewiston, Maine.

Father:

James Sullivan

Mother:

Mary (Mitchell) Sullivan

Wife:

Bessie Pearl Pathers

References

• Growth of Children in Hawaii Based on Observations by Louis R. Sullivan
• Growth of Children in Hawaii: Based on Observations by Louis R. Sullivan
• Growth of Children in Hawaii; Based on Observations by Louis R. Sullivan.