James Norman Spuhler (March 1, 1917 – September 2, 1992)[1] was an American biological anthropologist who has been described as "the founder of anthropological genetics".[2] He taught at the University of New Mexico from 1967 to 1984, where his research focused on human genetics.[3] In 1990, he received the NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing.[2] He died of cancer at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on September 2, 1992.[1]

James Spuhler
Born
James Norman Spuhler

(1917-03-01)March 1, 1917
Tucumcari, New Mexico, US
DiedSeptember 2, 1992(1992-09-02) (aged 75)
Santa Fe, New Mexico, US
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of New Mexico
Harvard University
Spouse
Helen McKaig
(m. 1946⁠–⁠1992)
ChildrenDerek Drake
AwardsNAS Award for Scientific Reviewing (1990)
Scientific career
FieldsBiological anthropology
Genetic anthropology
InstitutionsOhio State University
University of Michigan
University of New Mexico
ThesisSome Procedures in Human Genetics: A methodological study (1946)
Doctoral advisorEarnest Hooton

Background

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James Spuhler began his education at the University of New Mexico.[1]  He started at the university on a football scholarship, but gave up his scholarship to focus on his education.[1]  After he graduated, he was sent to China because of World War 2.[2]  While in China he served as a Naval officer and learned to speak some Chinese and Japanese.[2] When he returned from the war he started at Harvard University to be trained in physical anthropology.[1]  While studying at Harvard he wrote his dissertation on human genetics, which was one of the first of this topic submitted to any Department of Anthropology in the United States.[1]  While he was at Harvard, genetic knowledge was not used in relation to human populations as Spuhler was the first to be trained in this field.[2]  His dissertation prevented information for his two different subjects of expertise: human genetics and physical anthropology.[1]  Following his Ph.D. he worked as an instructor at the Ohio State University in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology.[1]  Spuhler became a reviewer but never worked full time because he continued to do research in the field and laboratory.[3]

Research

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The first study we contributed to was one of his teachers, Clyde Kluckhohn.[2]  Spuhler suggested a strategy of studying the nine genetic traits of the Ramah Navaho.[2]  The nine traits included in the study were a secrater factor of saliva, PTC taste reaction, anterior thoracic venus patterns, color perceptions, occipital hair whorl, absence of peroneus teritus muscles, and the number of vallate papillae on the tongue.[2]

His next project was a study of racial-ethnic differences in IQ.[2]  This study was completed during the academic year of 1971–1972 at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences in Palo Alto, California.[2] He and other scholars cooperatively researched the genetic and environmental variations that would account for the racial-ethnic differences in IQ.[2] The results of the study stated that the environmental and genetic differences will not always occur.[2] After this study was completed he was hired as a chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan.[2]  He started the first two courses with a focus of genetic anthropology in the United States, which influenced further teaching of biological anthropology.[2]  The two courses were called " The Genetic Basis of Evolution" and "Population Genetics".[2]

Rewards

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In 1990 James Spuhler was awarded the Award of Excellence for Scientific Reviewing by the National Academy of Sciences.[3]  He was given this award for his reviews that used population genetics that study anthropological questions.[3]  There were a wide array of study topics including race, intelligence, language, relationships among species, and human evolution. Spuhler explains that he writes for the "general scientific public, whether citizen or professional.[3]" Over 700 publications have cited his work.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Death Notices". Anthropology News. 34 (1): 4–5. January 1993. doi:10.1111/an.1993.34.1.4.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Lasker, G. W. (August 1994). "Place of James Norman Spuhler in the development of anthropological genetics". Human Biology. 66 (4): 553–566. ISSN 0018-7143. PMID 8088749.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "James N. Spuhler". The Tony Hillerman Portal. Retrieved 2019-11-14.