Background
Jacobs, Melville was born on July 3, 1902 in New York City. Son of Alexander and Rose (Blau) Jacobs.
Jacobs, Melville was born on July 3, 1902 in New York City. Son of Alexander and Rose (Blau) Jacobs.
Bachelor of Arts, College City New York, 1922. Master of Arts, Columbia, 1923, Doctor of Philosophy, 1931.
Especially during the earlier part of his career, from 1928 until 1936, he collected large amounts of linguistic data and text from a wide range of languages including Sahaptin, Molale, Kalapuya, Clackamas, Tillamook, Alsea, Upper Umpqua, Galice and Chinook Jargon. He left funds to establish the Jacobs Research Fund, which supports anthropological research in the Pacific Northwest. His papers, including extensive raw linguistic material that has provided the basis for subsequent research on now extinct languages, are held by the University of Washington in the Jacobs Archive.
Member faculty U. Washington, 1928-1971, professor anthropology, 1951-1971. Member American Ethnological Society, American Folklore Society (president 1963-1964), Linguistic Society American, American Antrop. Association.
Married Elizabeth L. Derr, January 3, 1931.