Description: (Anthropologist)
William R. Bascom was an esteemed American folklorist, anthropologist, and museum director. He specialized in the art and culture of West Africa, particularly the Yoruba of Nigeria. Bascom was the first American anthropologist to conduct fieldwork among the Yoruba. Throughout his career, he taught at prestigious institutions, conducted research in Cuba, and contributed significantly to the field of folklore. Bascom served as the director of the Lowie Museum of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, and was the president of the American Folklore Society.