Sol Tax was born Oct. 30, 1907; he was an American cultural anthropologist who is best known for founding the journal Current Anthropology, and for his work on the Fox Project. . He received his Ph.D from the University of Chicago in 1935. Soon after receiving his Ph.D, Tax began his study of the Omaha kinship pattern among the Fox. This study was done on the Fox and Sauk Indians in Tama, Iowa. He worked with the Indians from 1948 to 1962. His work led him to develop a pan-Indian organization and to help native American tribes preserve their cultural identity.
In 1961, Tax coordinated the American Indian Chicago Conference, at which the “Declaration of Indian Purpose” was drafted. Tax became involved with many anthropological societies. This led him to become President of the American Anthropological Association in 1959 and to later become founder and the general editor of Current Anthropology: A World Journal of the Sciences of Man . Tax served as a Professor of Anthropology from 1948 until his retirement in 1974. He was also Department Chair from 1955 to 1958 and Dean of the University Extension from 1963 to 1968.
Tax went on to do anthropological studies in Guatemala and Mexico, and he continued his studies in the United States. Tax received the Viking Fund Medal and Award in 1962 for his outstanding anthropological achievements. His writings, his teachings, and his work influenced the lives of many people.
References:
Year in Review 1995: Obituary” Encyclopedia Britannica Online
http://search.eb.com/bol/topic?eu=122582&sctn=1 [Accessed May 3, 1999].
“Tax, Sol” Encyclopedia Britannica Online
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu-9071437?&query=sol tax [Accessed May 3, 1999].
Written by Janet Nusser
Edited by Marcy L. Voelker, 2007