Burch, Ernest S., 1938-2010

Ernest S. "Tiger" Burch was born in New Haven, Connecticut on April 17, 1938. As a young man, Burch was interested in becoming a naturalist. He applied for and was accepted as a junior member of Donald B. MacMillan's 29th Arctic Expedition in 1954, an experience which influenced his decision to become an anthropologist. He attended Princeton University, majoring in sociology and graduating cum laude in 1960. He attended the University of Chicago, majoring in anthropology, and received his M.A. in 1963 and his Ph.D. in 1966. In the fall of 1966, Burch was appointed to the faculty of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Manitoba. He resigned from his position there in 1974 and moved to Pennysylvania, becoming an independent scholar and, in 1979, a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution. His research interests included contemporary Native Alaskan life, and his later research focused on reconstructing Native Alaskan life and social organization during the early contact period. Burch served as an advisor to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission; as a member of the United States Man and the Biosphere Program, High Latitude Ecosystems Directorate; as a member of the Polar Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council; and as a member of the Committee on Polar Social Sciences, Polar Research Board, Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Resources, National Reseach Council. Burch died at his home in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania on September 16, 2010. He was survived by his wife, Deanne, and his children, Karen, Sarah and David.

Ernest S. "Tiger" Burch was born in New Haven, Connecticut on April 17, 1938. As a young man, Burch was interested in becoming a naturalist. He applied for and was accepted as a junior member of Donald B. MacMillan's 29th arctic expedition in 1954, an experience which influenced his decision to become an anthropologist. He attended Princeton University, majoring in sociology and graduating cum laude in 1960. He attended the University of Chicago, majoring in anthropology, where he received his M.A. in 1963 and his Ph.D. in 1966.

In the fall of 1966, Burch was appointed to the faculty of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Manitoba. He resigned from his position there in 1974 and moved to Pennsylvania, becoming an independent scholar. He made many trips to Alaska researching contemporary Native life in the Arctic and, later, reconstructing Native life and social organization during the early contact period.

Burch served as an advisor to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission; as a member of the United States Man and the Biosphere Program, High Latitude Ecosystems Directorate; as member of the Polar Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council; and as a member of the Committee on Polar Social Sciences, Polar Research Board, Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Resources, National Research Council.

Burch died at home in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania and was survived by his wife, Deanne and his children, Karen, Sarah and David.