Franz Boas, known as the “Father of American Anthropology,” was born on July 10, 1858. In the early 20th Century he influenced a generation of anthropologists and changed the way Americans thought about race. Read more about Boas from programs that have aired on PBS in the past:

Think Tank with Ben Wattenberg: “Who Was Franz Boas?”
Wattenberg talks with Lee Baker, associate professor of cultural anthropology at Duke University, and Matthew Frye Jacobson, associate professor of American studies and history at Yale University, about Boas and his legacy. Read transcript.
Originally Aired: 1/25/2001

The First Measured Century
Timeline – Franz Boas: See what events in Boas’ life influenced 20th-century thought.
Episode 1, segment on scientific racism: read four interviews about Boas’ role in the debunking of scientific racism.