Interview with Alvin W. Wolfe, November 9, 2009

Interview Summary

Wolfe details his introduction to anthropology through his experience in World War II, joining the military and needing to learn the Japanese language and culture as part of his training. Wolfe describes going to the University of Nebraska, but focuses in particular on working with archaeologist with A. T. Hill at the Nebraska State Historical Society. Wolfe details his reasons for going to Northwestern University, to study under Melville Herskovits. Wolfe describes his fieldwork in the Congo during the period of African independence movements. Wolfe offers his interpretation of Belgian colonization of the Congo from the nineteenth century to the 1960s. Wolfe describes the problems with getting his paper on corporations in the Congo published. Wolfe describes the creation of an internship program for applied anthropologists and talks about moving to Tampa, Florida to be the coordinator of internships at the University of South Florida. Wolfe describes the lead up to his presidency of the Society for Applied Anthropology. Wolfe describes the main controversy during his presidency, and describes the creation of projects during his presidency of the Society for Applied Anthropology.

Interview Keyword

University of Nebraska Northwestern University Congo African independence Colonialism Washington University (Saint Louis, Mo.) Washington University in St. Louis University of South Florida. Department of Anthropology Herskovits, Melville J. (Melville Jean), 1895-1963. Kroeber, A. L. (Alfred Louis), 1876-1960. Kluckhohn, Clyde, 1905-1960 Mead, Margaret, 1901-1978 Hsu, Francis L. K., 1909-1999 Bascom, William Russell, 1912-1981 Waterman, Richard Alan, 1914-1971 Bennett, John W. (John William), 1915-2005 Whyte, William Foote, 1914-2000 Scott, Michael, 1907-1983 Rainwater, Lee Tax, Sol, 1907-1995. Kushner, Gilbert

Interview LC Subject

Society for Applied Anthropology World War, 1939-1945 Nebraska State Historical Society. State Archives Anthropology--Research. Anthropology students Anthropologists. Anthropology. Anthropology--Fieldwork. Anthropology research and developments Applied anthropology. Ngombe (African people) Anthropologists' writings. Anthropology--Periodicals. Anthropology publishing

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.