Marcus Goldstein
Encyclopedia
Marcus S. Goldstein was one of the forefathers of dental
anthropology
and was also a public health
analyst
. He was an active researcher
with a broad interest in the field of anthropology, writing over one hundred scientific publications
during his lifetime.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, Goldstein received a bachelor's and master's degree in anthropology
from George Washington University
, and his doctorate from Columbia
. His professional career in anthropology began in 1927, when he obtained a position as aide to Ales Hrdlicka
in the U.S. National Museum Division of Physical Anthropology
. During World War II
, he worked for the U.S. Office of Strategic Services
, and in 1946, joined the U.S. Public Health Service as an analyst.
His government career included posts at the Division of Public Health Methods, National Institutes of Mental Health Administration on Aging, and the Office of Research and Statistics in the Social Security Administration
, from which he retired in 1971.
As an active researcher, Goldstein's publications include a number of key works on dental variation and pathology
, growth, development, aging, and skeletal pathology in past populations of Israel
.
Following his retirement, Goldstein, and his wife, Lea, immigrated to Israel
, where he joined Tel Aviv University
and played an important role in developing research in the newly-formed Department of Anatomy
and Anthropology. Goldstein was also responsible for founding the "Israel Association of Anthropology", which now has well over 150 members. He brought together scientists from archaeology, biological, and social anthropology
— no easy task in a country where the three disciplines are taught in separate faculties. In 1987, he was honored with that Association's Distinguished Service Award.
Goldstein summed up his career in his monograph
, "An Odyssey in Anthropology and Public Health" (1995), in which he gave a warm portrayal of the people who had helped him in his works. He died in Jerusalem, Israel, aged 91.
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and was also a public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
analyst
Industry analyst
An industry analyst performs primary and secondary market research within an industry such as information technology, consulting or insurance. Analysts assess sector trends, create segment taxonomies, size markets, prepare forecasts, and develop industry models...
. He was an active researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
with a broad interest in the field of anthropology, writing over one hundred scientific publications
Scientific literature
Scientific literature comprises scientific publications that report original empirical and theoretical work in the natural and social sciences, and within a scientific field is often abbreviated as the literature. Academic publishing is the process of placing the results of one's research into the...
during his lifetime.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Goldstein received a bachelor's and master's degree in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
, and his doctorate from Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. His professional career in anthropology began in 1927, when he obtained a position as aide to Ales Hrdlicka
Aleš Hrdlicka
Aleš Hrdlička or Ales Hrdlicka was a Czech anthropologist who lived in the United States after his family had moved there in 1881...
in the U.S. National Museum Division of Physical Anthropology
Physical anthropology
Biological anthropology is that branch of anthropology that studies the physical development of the human species. It plays an important part in paleoanthropology and in forensic anthropology...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he worked for the U.S. Office of Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
, and in 1946, joined the U.S. Public Health Service as an analyst.
His government career included posts at the Division of Public Health Methods, National Institutes of Mental Health Administration on Aging, and the Office of Research and Statistics in the Social Security Administration
Social Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits...
, from which he retired in 1971.
As an active researcher, Goldstein's publications include a number of key works on dental variation and pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
, growth, development, aging, and skeletal pathology in past populations of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Following his retirement, Goldstein, and his wife, Lea, immigrated to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, where he joined Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
and played an important role in developing research in the newly-formed Department of Anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
and Anthropology. Goldstein was also responsible for founding the "Israel Association of Anthropology", which now has well over 150 members. He brought together scientists from archaeology, biological, and social anthropology
Social anthropology
Social Anthropology is one of the four or five branches of anthropology that studies how contemporary human beings behave in social groups. Practitioners of social anthropology investigate, often through long-term, intensive field studies , the social organization of a particular person: customs,...
— no easy task in a country where the three disciplines are taught in separate faculties. In 1987, he was honored with that Association's Distinguished Service Award.
Goldstein summed up his career in his monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
, "An Odyssey in Anthropology and Public Health" (1995), in which he gave a warm portrayal of the people who had helped him in his works. He died in Jerusalem, Israel, aged 91.
Publications
Goldstein's major publications include:- "The CuspCusp (dentistry)A cusp is an occlusal or incisal eminence on a tooth.Canine teeth, otherwise known as cuspids, each possess a single cusp, while premolars, otherwise known as bicuspids, possess two each. Molars normally possess either four or five cusps...
s in the MandibularMandibular foramenThe Mandibular foramen is an opening on the internal surface of the ramus for divisions of the mandibular vessels and nerve to pass.-Contents:...
Molar TeethMolar (tooth)Molars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of tooth in most mammals. In many mammals they grind food; hence the Latin name mola, "millstone"....
of the EskimoEskimoEskimos or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland....
," American Journal of Physical Anthropology (1931, 16); - DemographicDemographyDemography is the statistical study of human population. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic human population, that is, one that changes over time or space...
and Bodily Changes in Descendants of MexicanMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
ImmigrantsImmigrationImmigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
with Comparable Data on Parents and Children in Mexico (1943); - "Physical Status of Men Examined through Selective Service in World War II", Public Health Reports (1951, 66);
- "Some Vital StatisticsStatisticsStatistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
Based on Skeletal MaterialSkeletonThe skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
", Human BiologyHuman biologyHuman Biology is an interdisciplinary area of study that examines humans through the influences and interplay of many diverse fields such as genetics, evolution, physiology, epidemiology, ecology, nutrition, population genetics and sociocultural influences. It is closely related to...
(1953, 25); - "Longevity and Health Status of Whites and Nonwhites in the United States", Journal of the National Medical Association (1954, 46); and
- "Theory of Survival of the Unfit", Journal of the National Medical Association (1955, 47).