Angela Gilliam was born in Boston, MA. She attended the University of California at Los Angeles from 1954 to 1958 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies. From 1958 to 1962 she attended the National School of Anthropology and History in Mexico City to receive her Master of Science in Ethnology and Anthropology. She received her Ph.D. from Union Graduate School in 1975. She was a faculty member in anthropology/social sciences at The Evergreen State College (TESC) from 1988 to 2004, where she received Emeritus status. Prior to TESC she was a tenured professor at State University of New York, College at Old Westbury from 1970 to 1990. She was a visiting lecturer at University of Papua New Guinea from July, 1978 to July 1980 and at the University of Coimbra, Portugal from January, 1976 to August 1976. From 1966 to 1970 she worked in various positions that utilized her bilingual skills. She spoke fluent English, Spanish, and Portuguese and had reasonable fluency in French. She was a Fulbright Scholar in 1994 to 1995 lecturing and researching in Brazil. She is widely published in the field of anthropology. She belongs to professional and civic organizations including: American Anthropological Association, Association of Black Anthropologists, World Archeological Congress, American Ethnological Association, and Women for Mutual Security. While at TESC she participated in the following campus governance activities: International Disappearing Task Force, President's Advisory Council, and the Unsoeld Seminar Committee.
From the guide to the Angela Gilliam Papers, 1988-2003, (The Evergreen State College Archives and Special Collections)
