The Denver Jewish news., 1920-02-25
Jews in Science
in America
BY 3. ii. Franz EOas.

| "a ipodS' pioitcSol VI
1T Columbia University, is generally
considered the foremost authority on
his subject in this country. Many claim
! that he has actually introduced the
science of anthropology into America
that. before his arrival, miscellaneous
facts We're known, but classification
was entirely unknown. Be that as it
may. we have to thank Prof Boas for
the knowledge he has transmitted to
us regarding the anthropology of the
.>Orth, and Northwest America.
But what is anthropology? 1t is
in reality, the most embracive of the
sciences, for it deals with the science
of man. 1t invades physiology and
zoology on the one hand. and history
and religion on the other. TO be an
anthropolocist is to be an "allwis-
sender which, with increased spe-
cialiation. is becoming more and more
| difficult.
In order to delimit the extent of
so vast IL field, it has been customary
Of late to divide anthropoogy into
i tbt louI
i Ethnography. and Prehistoric Arch
aeology. Somatology deals with man
in relation TO other animals. and also
| with man himself as an organism. II
touches upon physiology, anatomy and
4 psychology and forms the basis for
cthnology. which defines the types of
man. Photography is the descriptive
! phase of the science.
| IN all of these branches Prof BoaS
has been active. OF late. his activity
| has been particularly directed to the
i science of anthropomctry- tho science
4 OF measurement, with the view to
establishing possible differences be-
I tween the Immigrants con,lng to these
/ shores and those who have been here
some generations. He has also been
1 able to draw interesting conclusions
4 regarding several marked differences
among the immigrants themselves. OF
particular interest to us Jews is his
classification of our own most marked
claracteristic-at least, in popular
Cstina tion-our noses. III the Mongol.
the small. flat concavc muse is usual
| ~ correlated with high chccl-honcs and
narrow. oblique eyes. The Negro OK
| libits the short nose with wide noStrils
and depressed root with cvcrtcd lips
and bombed frontal bone. But the
;rchcd nose. with regular oval fca
lures. are semitic
Prof Boas was born in Mhdcn. Ger
many. in 1858.
| In 1885 DR.. Boas was given the title
| Of Privat-doceiIt ut the University Of
Berlin, and at the same time received
an appointment us assistant at the
! Royal chronological Museum in Ber-
lin.
Three years later. DR. Boas came
to this country. At that time the pres
idcnt of the recently established Clark
University, modelled after the Johns
Hopkins University in Baltimore,
which in turn was largely an imitu
lion of German university. was en-
deavoring to enroll in the faculty the
best talent from this and other lands
that he could get. This led to DIR.
Boas's appointment as Decent, rank
entirely foreign TO American colleges,
hut thoroly in harmony with til" spirit
then pervuding the Clark atmosphere.
In 1896 DR.. Boas was invited TO this
city to become Lecturer in Anthropol
cgy ut Columbia. and three years later
he was appointed to full professor
a in attl- ,t.,I, Il. @It nH.lin
He has also been connected with the
American Museum of Natural History
first ns Assistant Curator GS9J- 1900,
and later as Curator 19OO-19O5D
His standing as man of science has
received recognition more than once
IN 1909, for example, he received the
honorary degree of Doctor Of Laws
from Clark University. ana in lol2.
the Doctor of Science degree from On
ford. England. He is member Gt
the foremost scientific society in this
country. the National Academy OF
Sciences. and oiv two occasions. in
1891 and in 1907, lie was ricr .prcsi-
dent Of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science
Prof. Boas is editor of the journal
Of American Folklore.
As Il teacher at Columbia am! else
where, he has been very successful.
The courses offered at Columbia are
not only well attended Ivy the scirucr
graduates pass out OF tho university