An authority on the culture of native American tribes, Alfred Kroeber was known among colleagues as the "man who shaped the science of anthropology." His most noted publication is the massive textbook Anthropology , considered the most authoritative work in the field.

Kroeber was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, June 11, 1876, the son of Florence, a dealer in clocks, and Johanna Mueller Kroeber. As a youth, Kroeber began to collect natural history specimens. He was educated at Columbia University in New York City, earning an B.A. in 1896, an M.A. in 1897, and a Ph.D. in 1901. While at Columbia, he came under the influence of noted German-American anthropologist Franz Boas. During his tenure (1899-1942), Boas developed one of the foremost departments of anthropology in the United States. Choosing anthropology as his life's work, Kroeber made collecting trips during summer breaks, sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History, to...