Mark Hanna Watkins (November 23, 1903 – February 24, 1976) was an Afro-American linguist and anthropologist. He was born in Huntsville, Texas, the youngest of fourteen children of a Baptist minister. He obtained a Bachelor of Science from Prairie View State College in 1926, remaining there for a further two years as assistant registrar.[1] In 1929, he enrolled at the University of Chicago, where he became a pupil of Edward Sapir and wrote a Master's thesis entitled Terms of Relationship in Aboriginal Mexico (1930), dealing with seven genetically unrelated language groups: Otomian, Tarascan, Aztecan, Mixtecan, Zapotecan, Mixean, and Mayan.[2]
Mark Hanna Watkins ca. 1930
Turning from American to African languages for his Ph.D. thesis, between 1930 and 1932 he wrote A Grammar of Chichewa: A Bantu Language of British Central Africa, in cooperation with Kamuzu Banda, a young student from Nyasaland (as Malawi was then known), who in 1966 was to become the first President of the Republic of Malawi. This grammar was the first grammar of an African language to be written by an American.[3] On completing his thesis Watkins became the first African American to receive the Ph.D. degree in anthropology.[4]
From 1934 to 1947 Watkins served as professor of anthropology at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1943, the first African Studies program in the United States was founded at Fisk, and Watkins was one of its six faculty members. In 1944 he returned temporarily to Chicago and in 1945–47 he worked in Mexico and Guatemala. From 1947 to his retirement in 1972 Watkins was professor of anthropology at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he worked particularly on African languages and on promoting exchange programs between students in Africa and America.[1]
Shortly before his death, he dictated to his wife the final revision of "Setswana Phonemics: Sefokeng Dialect", which appeared posthumously in 1978.[2]
Spears, Arthur K. (2018). "This Month in Linguistics History: Tribute to Mark Hanna Watkins". Linguistics Society of America.
Wade-Lewis, Margaret (2004). "Bridge Over Many Waters: Mark Hanna Watkins, Linguistic Anthropologist". Dialectical Anthropology, Vol. 28, No. 2 (2004), pp. 147–202
Wade-Lewis, Margaret (2005). "Mark Hanna Watkins". Histories of Anthropology Annual, vol 1, pp. 181–218.
Watkins, Mark Hanna (1937). "A Grammar of Chichewa: A Bantu Language of British Central Africa", Language, Vol. 13, No. 2, Language Dissertation No. 24 (Apr.-Jun., 1937), pp. 5–158.
Watkins, Mark Hanna (1943). "The West African "Bush" School". American Journal of Sociology, vol. 48, no. 6, pp. 666–75.
Wright, Jerome W. (December 1976). "Mark Hanna Watkins, 1903-1976". American Anthropologist. 78 (4): 889–890. doi:10.1525/aa.1976.78.4.02a00140. ISSN 0002-7294.
January 01, 1970
mark, hanna, watkins, november, 1903, february, 1976, afro, american, linguist, anthropologist, born, huntsville, texas, youngest, fourteen, children, baptist, minister, obtained, bachelor, science, from, prairie, view, state, college, 1926, remaining, there, . Mark Hanna Watkins November 23 1903 February 24 1976 was an Afro American linguist and anthropologist He was born in Huntsville Texas the youngest of fourteen children of a Baptist minister He obtained a Bachelor of Science from Prairie View State College in 1926 remaining there for a further two years as assistant registrar 1 In 1929 he enrolled at the University of Chicago where he became a pupil of Edward Sapir and wrote a Master s thesis entitled Terms of Relationship in Aboriginal Mexico 1930 dealing with seven genetically unrelated language groups Otomian Tarascan Aztecan Mixtecan Zapotecan Mixean and Mayan 2 Mark Hanna Watkins ca 1930 Turning from American to African languages for his Ph D thesis between 1930 and 1932 he wrote A Grammar of Chichewa A Bantu Language of British Central Africa in cooperation with Kamuzu Banda a young student from Nyasaland as Malawi was then known who in 1966 was to become the first President of the Republic of Malawi This grammar was the first grammar of an African language to be written by an American 3 On completing his thesis Watkins became the first African American to receive the Ph D degree in anthropology 4 From 1934 to 1947 Watkins served as professor of anthropology at Fisk University in Nashville Tennessee In 1943 the first African Studies program in the United States was founded at Fisk and Watkins was one of its six faculty members In 1944 he returned temporarily to Chicago and in 1945 47 he worked in Mexico and Guatemala From 1947 to his retirement in 1972 Watkins was professor of anthropology at Howard University in Washington D C where he worked particularly on African languages and on promoting exchange programs between students in Africa and America 1 Shortly before his death he dictated to his wife the final revision of Setswana Phonemics Sefokeng Dialect which appeared posthumously in 1978 2 References edit a b Wade Lewis 2005 a b Spears 2018 Wade Lewis 2004 p 149 Wright 1976Bibliography editSpears Arthur K 2018 This Month in Linguistics History Tribute to Mark Hanna Watkins Linguistics Society of America Wade Lewis Margaret 2004 Bridge Over Many Waters Mark Hanna Watkins Linguistic Anthropologist Dialectical Anthropology Vol 28 No 2 2004 pp 147 202 Wade Lewis Margaret 2005 Mark Hanna Watkins Histories of Anthropology Annual vol 1 pp 181 218 Watkins Mark Hanna 1937 A Grammar of Chichewa A Bantu Language of British Central Africa Language Vol 13 No 2 Language Dissertation No 24 Apr Jun 1937 pp 5 158 Watkins Mark Hanna 1943 The West African Bush School American Journal of Sociology vol 48 no 6 pp 666 75 Wright Jerome W December 1976 Mark Hanna Watkins 1903 1976 American Anthropologist 78 4 889 890 doi 10 1525 aa 1976 78 4 02a00140 ISSN 0002 7294 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mark Hanna Watkins amp oldid 1211904392, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
