William Pollitzer papers
name: label: Creator
content: Pollitzer, William S., 1923-
place: label: Place
content: North Carolina -- United States
topic: label: Topic
content: Biological anthropology
label: Topic
content: dermatoglyphics
label: Topic
content: Human genetics
label: Topic
content: Brass Ankles
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Received from William Pollitzer in 1999 and Margaret Pollitzer in 2002.
creator: label: Creator
content: Pollitzer, William S., 1923-
culture: label: Culture
content: Catawba
label: Culture
content: Cherokee
label: Culture
content: Lumbee
label: Culture
content: Seminole
label: Culture
content: Gullahs
label: Culture
content: Hawaiians
label: Culture
content: Cajuns
label: Culture
content: Haliwa-Saponi
setName: label: See more items in
content: William Pollitzer papers
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: William S. Pollitzer was a biological anthropologist  who taught anthropology, anatomy, and genetics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1957 to his retirement in 1986. Born in 1923, Pollitzer received an A.B. in 1944 and an MA in Biology in 1947, both from Emory University. He received his PhD in in Human Variation from Columbia University in 1957, studying under L.C. Dunn and Theodosious Dobzhansky.

Pollitzer's research into biological variation of living people included studies with a wide variety of human populations, but he is best known for his studies among African diaspora groups in Coastal Georgia and South Carolina, which began in the early 1950s. Returning to this research in the 1980s, Pollitzer worked to synthesize information about the history, culture, language, art, kinship, and biology of the Gullah people of South Carolina and Georgia. The Gullah People and Their African Ancestry was published in 1999.

Pollitzer was active in his professional community and served as President of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (1979-1981) and the Human Biology Council (1986-1988), and also served as editor in chief of American Journal of Physical Anthropology (1970-1977).

Pollitzer died in 2002.

Sources cited:

William S. Pollitzer papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Larsen, Clark Spencer. "William Sprott Pollitzer, 6 May 1923-12 March 2002", American Journal of Physical Anthropology Vol. 119 Issue 1 (2002).
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 10.6 Linear feet (22 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1955-2001
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.1999-34
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged in four series: Series 1: Research; Series 2: Writings; Series 3: Teaching; and Series 4: Human Biology Council.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection arrived at the archives in several accessions, both in a semi-organized state. The archivist maintained any existing organization but imposed arrangement where none appeared to exist. Duplicate material was removed and discarded. Materials were re-housed in archival folders and boxes. Pollitzer's folder titles were not always indicative of contents; in these cases the archivist supplied a title for clarification.

Research data containing subject names paired with madical or other personal information has been restricted until 2080 and is in separate boxes from the non-restricted boxes. This material includes lists of research subjects and what Pollitzer called "pedigrees" or genealogies of subjects paired with coding and other data.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The William S. Pollitzer papers primarily document his research into blood types, anthropogenetics, and other studies among various communities in North and South Carolina and elsewhere. Series 1: Research
includes files containing mostly correspondence, notes, and data from studies among the Lumbee, Cherokee, and Haliwa-Saponi Tribes of North Carolina, Catawba, and other Native American Tribes, as well as among African-American communities in Charleston, South Carolina. Pollitzer's work on facial morphology, Egyptian Bedouin communities, Robin Hood's Bay in England, and other studies are also documented through primarily correspondence, notes, and data. Pollitzer's research on Gullah is the largest subseries in the research series, and includes research notes, data, correspondence, and manuscript drafts. Many of these subseries have what Pollitzer called "pedigrees," which are kinship/genealogical charts. Most are restricted due to the presence of coding and other sensitive data.

Series 2: Writings comprises Pollitzer's published articles and chapters, as well as one dissertation by Renee Menegaz-Bock, who worked with Pollitzer on various studies and uses some associated data in her dissertation.

Series 3: Teaching consists mostly of materials for Anthropology 115, a course taught for many years by Pollitzer at the University of North Carolina. Course and lecture outlines, daily notes, exams and quizzes, reading lists, and topical files are included.

Series 4: Human Biology Council (HBC) documents Pollitzer's activities during his time as vice-president and president of the HBC. Mostly consisting of correspondence, subjects covered include membership, conferences, and editorship and publication of the journal.

Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.