Putnam, F. W. (Frederic Ward), 1839-1915

Frederic Ward Putnam; in 1894 he began devoting half his time to the curatorship in anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History, New York City, and was influential in dispatching the productive Jesup North Pacific Expedition to northeastern Asia and northwestern North America; in 1903 he went to the University of California, Berkeley, to organize both the new department of anthropology and the anthropological museum

<p>Frederic Ward Putnam; appointed the Harvard College Peabody Professor of American Archaeology and Ethnology in 1885; retained that post until 1909 and was Professor Emeritus from 1910 until 1914; as Director of the Peabody Museum at Harvard, he was responsible for a variety of museum functions which included not only administrative duties but field collecting, curation of collections, fund raising, and teaching in the Harvard College Department of Anthropology which he helped to establish in 1897; became Honorary Curator/Director upon his retirement.</p>

<p>1839, April 16 Born in Salem, MA
1856 Curator in ornithology, Essex Institute, Salem, MA
1856 Curator in ornithology, Essex Institute, Salem, MA Elected member, Boston Society of Natural History Student, Lawrence Scientific School, Harvard University, under Louis Agassiz
1859-1868 Curator of Ichthyology, Boston Society of Natural History (part-time)
1862-1864 Special Assistant to Louis Agassiz, Lawrence Scientific School, in fishes and reptiles
1864Curator of Vertebrates, Essex Institute, Essex, MA
1867 Co-founder, American Naturalist
1868 Director, Museum of the Peabody Academy of Science, Salem, MA
1873 Elected Permanent Secretary, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
1873-1874, summers Vertebrate zoology instructor, Anderson School of Natural History, Penikese Island
1874 Assistant, Kentucky Geological Survey (part-time)
1875-1908 Curator (Director), Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University
1876-1878 Assistant in Fish Collection, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, (Part-time)
1876-1879 Chief, Anthropology Collections, Wheeler Survey West of the 100th Meridian, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
1882-1889 Appointed Massachusetts State Commissioner, Inland Fishes and Game
1885-1901 Peabody Professor of American Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University
1887-1896 Trustee, Peabody Museum, Harvard University
1891-1894 Chief, Department of Anthropology, World Columbian Exposition, Chicago, IL
1897-1908 Committee Member, Anthropology Department, Harvard University
1898 Elected President, AAAS
1893-1903 Co-founder and Curator, Department of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
1903-1907 Co-founder, Department of Anthropology Director, Anthropology Museum, University of California at Berkelely
1909 Honorary Curator (retired Director), Peabody Museum, Harvard University
1901-1915 Professor Emeritus, Department of Anthropology, Harvard University
1915 Died August 14, age 76</p>

Putnam was born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, the son of Ebenezer (1797–1876) and Elizabeth (Appleton) Putnam. After leaving college, Ebenezer had for a short time engaged in fitting young men for college, but soon went into business in Cincinnati as a commission merchant, a line in which he was successful. Recalled to Salem by his father's death in 1826, Ebenezer married there and devoted himself to the study and cultivation of plants and fruits, and involved himself in the Democratic Party in his county. Although frequently offered office, Ebenezer never accepted, except to serve as alderman in the so-called “model-government” of Salem when that town was first chartered as a city, and as postmaster of Salem.[2]

Frederic's early studies were at private schools, and with his father at home.[2] He became curator of ornithology at the Essex Institute in Salem in 1856.[3] That year he published List of the Birds of Essex County. A visit of Louis Agassiz to Salem, who appreciated his abilities,[2] resulted in his taking his college studies at the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University, where he was a student of Agassiz at the Museum of Comparative Zoology which was also part of Harvard. However, he broke with Agassiz over the theory of evolution and led his fellow students in an academic revolt.[4] Putnam graduated from Harvard in 1862,[3] and his early work was as a naturalist done with fellow students he had first met while studying under Agassiz, Edward Sylvester Morse, A. S. Packard and Alpheus Hyatt. These four were later the founders of the American Naturalist in 1867. Putnam originated The Naturalist's Directory in 1865.

In 1864 Putnam became the first director of the Peabody Museum of Salem. He was closely involved with convincing George Peabody to put up the money to found the museum. In 1867 he was appointed superintendent of the East Indian Marine Society's Museum at Salem.[5]

In 1865, Putnam published a paper on “An Indian Grave and its Contents, on Winter Island, Salem, Massachusetts.” His archeological activity may be said to date from the publication of this paper, for, on looking over the long list of titles of his publications, it will be seen that, from this time, papers on early American man steadily increase in number, and the work of the zoologist practically ceases.[6]

In 1874 Putnam became the curator of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University from 1874 to 1909. Putnam was personable and recruited many students, including women and Native Americans.[7] He directed archæological digs across 37 U.S. states and in other countries. In 1875, he was appointed civilian assistant on the United States surveys west of the 100th meridian, his duties being to make investigations and reports of the archæological and ethnological material collected. Putnam studied both natural history and North American archeology. Among other projects, Putnam did an archaeological survey of Ohio from 1880–1895, where he was instrumental in having the Great Serpent Mound preserved. He also surveyed New Jersey extensively.[8]

Putnam was appointed the lead curator and head of the anthropology department in 1891 for the World's Columbian Exposition, to be held in Chicago in 1893. He spent much of the two years leading up to the exposition organizing and directing expeditions dispatched to all parts of the Americas and other parts of the world to gather natural history and ethnographic items for the exhibition. As the exposition was drawing to a close, Putnam agitated for a permanent home to be found for the collection of artifacts amassed under his supervision. Late in 1893 what was to become the Field Museum of Natural History was incorporated, opening the following year. Putnam held hopes of becoming the museum's first director but was unsuccessful.[9]

Putnam was also active in professional organizations, which were rapidly organizing. In 1882 he was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society,[10] and in 1898 he was elected president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1901 he was president of the American Folklore Society. In 1905 he was president of the American Anthropological Association. He was invited to become a member of the National Academy of Sciences and of many foreign learned societies.

Putnam is widely known as the "Father of American Archaeology" for his contribution of scientific methods and direction of many of the nascent field's best students,[11] including Arthur C. Parker.[12]

He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts on 14 August 1915.[13]