Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre

Variant names

Hide Profile

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, paleontologist and philosopher, was born May 1, 1881, at Sarcenat, in the Dept. of Puy de Dôin, France, and educated at the College of Mongréin Villefranche-sur-Saô. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1899 at Aix-en-Provence and was ordained a priest in 1911. From 1912-1914 he studied paleontology under Marcellin Boule in Paris. After a period of teaching in Cairo, service in World War I as a stretcher-bearer, and further teaching at the Institut catholique in Paris, Teilhard began a series of visits to China. He spent the greater part of the period from 1923 to 1947 in China, Mongolia and Southeast Asia, participating in a number of geological and paleological expeditions. During this period he was involved with the discovery and research on Peking man (Sinanthropos), as well as projects on the fauna and artifacts of a number of sites where early man was found. Throughout his life, Teilhard published a large number of articles and monographs on his expeditions and research. His best known works, however, are the relatively few, later, philosophical works he wrote to synthesize his paleological research with his Christian faith. Teilhard's most important philosophical work, The Phenomenon of man, "effected a threefold synthesis--of the material and physical world with the world of mind and spirit; of the past with the future; and of variety with unity, the many with the one" (Sir Julian Huxley). Because the Church had difficulty understanding his radical synthesis of scientific evolution and theology, Teilhard was forbidden from publishing or lecturing on his philosophy from the 1940's; The Phenomenon of man was not released until after his death. Despite the ecclesiastical disapproval of his philosophy, Teilhard continued to work and to write on scientific subjects. He made a number of trips to South Africa during the 1950's, and worked for a time with the Wenner-Gren Foundation in New York. He died in New York on April 10, 1955.

Walter Granger was born Nov. 7, 1872 in Middletown Springs, Vt. After two years at the Rutland, Vt., high school he took a janitorial position at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. His knowledge of taxidermy helped him secure employment in the department of birds and mammals at the museum. After an 1894 expedition to the Badlands of South Dakota stimulated his interest in paleontology, Granger transferred to the recently organized department of vertebrate paleontology. In 1903 he was assigned leadership of the museum's investigations into the early mammals of North America. With Albert Thomson as technical assistant and William Diller Matthew as senior researcher, Granger revolutionized knowledge of the age of mammals and laid the groundwork for early Cenozoic faunal and stratigraphic studies in North America, work which occupied much of the rest of his life. In 1904 he married Annie Dean Granger, a first cousin. He achieved the rank of curator at the American Museum in 1927. On Sept. 6, 1941, Walter Granger died of a coronary thrombosis at a field camp in Lusk, Wyo.

From the description of The Granger-Teilhard de Chardin collection, 1924-1936. (Georgetown University). WorldCat record id: 86223024

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Swan, Lucile, d. 1965. The Lucile Swan papers, 1907-1985 (bulk 1932-1955). Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
referencedIn Dorgan, William Joseph. Teilhard and Pannenberg : Toward a reconciliation of teleology and the ontological priority of the future / William Joseph Dorgan. Carmelitana Collection
referencedIn Finney, Ross Lee, 1906-1997. Earthrise / Ross Lee Finney. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Warre, Janetta, 1922-. The Leroy-Warre collection. Accession II, 1960-2001 (bulk 1980-1992). Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
referencedIn Bergeret, Ida Treat, 1889?-1978. Papers, 1928-1974. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
creatorOf Roy Chapman Andrews papers, 1987 Accession, 1920-1947 (bulk 1934-1944) American Museum of Natural History
referencedIn Huxley, Julian, 1887-1975. Papers, 1899-1980. Rice University, Fondren Library
creatorOf Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre. Toward the future. University of Manchester Library, Main Library
referencedIn Bergeret, Ida Treat, 1889?-1978. Ida Treat Bergeret papers, 1928-1974. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn [Pamphlets on the Yale-Cambridge India expedition, 1935]. Yale University Library
creatorOf Rzewski, Frederic. Nothing changes : June '76 / [music by] Fred. Rzewski ; [words by] Pierre-Teilhard de Chardin. SUNY at Buffalo, University at Buffalo
referencedIn American Museum of Natural History. Central Asiatic Expeditions (1921-1930). Records, 1924-1961, 1924-1934 (bulk) Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
creatorOf Raphael, Françoise. The Raphael-Teilhard collection, 1938-1950. Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
creatorOf Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre. The Granger-Teilhard de Chardin collection, 1924-1936. Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
referencedIn Turnbull, Grace Hill, 1880-1976,. Oral history interview, 1971. Maryland historical society
referencedIn Leroy, Pierre, 1900-. The Pierre Leroy papers, 1947-1984 (bulk 1948-1955). Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
referencedIn Gieratowa, Ewa. Papers, 1943-1994. Central Connecticut State University, Elihu Burritt Library; Burritt Library
creatorOf Houdin, R. J., Mme., d. 1989. The Teilhard-Houdin collection, 1951-1969 (bulk 1951-1955) Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
referencedIn Francoeur, Robert T. The Robert T. Francoeur papers, 1938-1975. Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
referencedIn Astor, Bronwen, 1930-. Lady Bronwen Astor papers 1966-1984. Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
creatorOf Dubalen, Marie Thérèse. The Marie Thérèse Dubalen-Nancy Corson Carter collection, 1923-1986 (bulk 1931-1949). Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
referencedIn Finney, Ross Lee, 1906-1997. Earthrise : for chorus, soloists & orchestra / by Ross Lee Finney. University of Michigan
referencedIn Kluge, C. (Constantin), 1912-. The Constantin Kluge - Pierre Leroy collection, 1976-1993. Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
referencedIn American Museum of Natural History. Dept. of Vertebrate Paleontology. General correspondence files, [ca. 1887]-1966. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn Lukas, Mary, 1928-. The Lukas-Teilhard collection, 1899-1985. Georgetown University, Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American Museum of Natural History. Central Asiatic Expeditions (1921-1930) corporateBody
associatedWith American Museum of Natural History. Dept. of Vertebrate Paleontology. corporateBody
associatedWith Andrews, Roy Chapman, 1884-1960. person
associatedWith Astor, Bronwen, 1930- person
associatedWith Bergeret, Ida Treat, 1889?-1978. person
associatedWith Dorgan, William Joseph. person
associatedWith Dubalen, Marie Thérèse. person
associatedWith Finney, Ross Lee, 1906-1997. person
associatedWith Francoeur, Robert T. person
associatedWith Gieratowa, Ewa. person
correspondedWith Granger, Walter, 1872-1941 person
correspondedWith Houdin, R. J., Mme., d. 1989. person
correspondedWith Huxley, Julian, 1887-1975. person
associatedWith Kluge, C. (Constantin), 1912- person
associatedWith Leroy, Pierre, 1900- person
associatedWith Lukas, Mary, 1928- person
correspondedWith Raphael, Françoise. person
associatedWith Rzewski, Frederic. person
associatedWith Swan, Lucile, d. 1965. person
associatedWith Turnbull, Grace Hill, 1880-1976, person
associatedWith Warre, Janetta, 1922- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
China
Subject
Paleontology
Peking man
Sino
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1881-05-01

Death 1955-04-10

French

French

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gm8fzb

Ark ID: w6gm8fzb

SNAC ID: 67995937