Race

5 June 1887 – 17 September 1948

Ruth Benedict (born June 5, 1887, New York, N.Y., U.S.—died Sept. 17, 1948, New York City) was an American anthropologist whose theories had a profound influence on cultural anthropology, especially in the area of culture and personality. Benedict graduated from Vassar College in 1909, lived in Europe for a year, and then settled in California, where she taught in girls’ schools. In 1914 she returned to New York City. For some years Benedict sought vainly for an occupation. In 1919 she enrolled at the New School for Social Research, where the influence of Elsie Clews Parsons and Alexander Goldenweiser led her to study anthropology under Franz Boas at Columbia University. She approached…