Fortes, Meyer

Meyer Fortes (1906-1983), anthropologist, was born in Britstown, Cape Colony, on 25 April 1906. He carried out research on intelligence tests at University College London from 1927, for which he was awarded a Ph.D. in 1930. Thereafter, he became a research student at the London School of Economics, lecturing there, 1938-1939, and at Oxford, 1939-1941. He was head of the Sociological Department, Accra, Gold Coast, 1944-1946; Reader in Social Anthropology, Oxford University, 1946-1950; and William Wyse Professor of Social Anthropology, Cambridge University, 1950-1973. He was also a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, 1950-1983. Fortes conducted field research in several parts of Africa, including Ashanti, Gold Coast, 1945-1946. He died in Cambridge on 27 January 1983.

From the guide to the Meyer Fortes: Correspondence and papers, 1921-1983, (Cambridge University Library, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives)

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