Margaret Mead (1901-1978)
Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
The world-renowned anthropologist and writer lived in this house and graduated in 1918 from Doylestown High School. Among her most famous works are "Coming of Age in Samoa" (1928) and "Male and Female" (1949).
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Long before she became the most famous anthropologist in America, Margaret Mead grew up in this Doylestown house and graduated from the local high school in 1918. Her fieldwork among Pacific island peoples produced the 1928 bestseller "Coming of Age in Samoa," which challenged American assumptions about adolescence, gender, and culture. Through decades of writing and public life she brought the study of human societies to a mass audience.
Why it matters
Mead did more than any scholar of her era to bring anthropology into public life, shaping national conversations about culture, gender, and childrearing.
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Related people
- · Margaret Mead
Themes & tags
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