Gail M. Kelly
Encyclopedia
Gail M. Kelly was an American anthropologist known for training generations of anthropologists at Reed College
in Portland, Oregon
.
She was born February 9, 1933, in Deer Park, Washington
, and after her mother's death was raised by relatives in Portland. She attended Reed as an undergraduate, studying under Morris Opler and David H. French
, graduating in 1955. Her B.A. thesis, Themes in Wasco Culture, was based on fieldwork on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation
under French's supervision. She pursued a Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of Chicago
, where she was strongly influenced by Edward Shils
and Fred Eggan
. She completed an M.A. thesis on Northwest Coast Indians under Eggan and then shifted to a focus on Africa and on British social anthropology. She did fieldwork in Ghana
and Britain beginning in 1958 and received her Ph.D. in 1959.
She taught at Reed from 1960 until her retirement in 2000. Although she did not remain an active fieldworker or continue to publish, she trained approximately 50 students who went on to pursue Ph.D.s in anthropology. Her interests and coursework focused on Émile Durkheim
, Max Weber
, witchcraft, the anthropology of religion, millennialism, Melanesia, and consumption.
She died August 17, 2005, in Portland.
Reed College
Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
She was born February 9, 1933, in Deer Park, Washington
Deer Park, Washington
Deer Park is a city in Spokane County, Washington, in the United States. The population was 3,652 at the 2010 census.-History:Deer Park was officially incorporated on June 24, 1908. Deer Park got its name when railroad surveyors saw deer grazing in the area. Deer Park was settled in 1889 when a...
, and after her mother's death was raised by relatives in Portland. She attended Reed as an undergraduate, studying under Morris Opler and David H. French
David H. French
David Heath French was an American anthropologist and linguist from Bend, Oregon. During his lifetime he was considered the foremost academic authority on the Chinookan people of the middle Columbia River, especially the Wasco-Wishram Chinooks of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in Oregon...
, graduating in 1955. Her B.A. thesis, Themes in Wasco Culture, was based on fieldwork on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation
Warm Springs Indian Reservation
The Warm Springs Indian Reservation consists of 1,019.385 sq mi in north central Oregon, in the United States, and is occupied and governed by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.-Tribes:...
under French's supervision. She pursued a Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, where she was strongly influenced by Edward Shils
Edward Shils
Edward Shils was a Distinguished Service Professor in the Committee on Social Thought and in Sociology at the University of Chicago and reputedly an influential sociologist. He was known for his research on the role of intellectuals and their relations to power and public policy...
and Fred Eggan
Fred Eggan
Frederick Russell Eggan was an American anthropologist best known for his innovative application of the principles of British social anthropology to the study of Native American tribes. He was the favorite student of the British social anthropologist A. R. Radcliffe-Brown during Radcliffe-Brown's...
. She completed an M.A. thesis on Northwest Coast Indians under Eggan and then shifted to a focus on Africa and on British social anthropology. She did fieldwork in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and Britain beginning in 1958 and received her Ph.D. in 1959.
She taught at Reed from 1960 until her retirement in 2000. Although she did not remain an active fieldworker or continue to publish, she trained approximately 50 students who went on to pursue Ph.D.s in anthropology. Her interests and coursework focused on Émile Durkheim
Émile Durkheim
David Émile Durkheim was a French sociologist. He formally established the academic discipline and, with Karl Marx and Max Weber, is commonly cited as the principal architect of modern social science and father of sociology.Much of Durkheim's work was concerned with how societies could maintain...
, Max Weber
Max Weber
Karl Emil Maximilian "Max" Weber was a German sociologist and political economist who profoundly influenced social theory, social research, and the discipline of sociology itself...
, witchcraft, the anthropology of religion, millennialism, Melanesia, and consumption.
She died August 17, 2005, in Portland.