Doris Zemurray Stone facts for kids

Doris Zemurray Stone (born November 19, 1909 – died October 21, 1994) was an important American scientist. She was an archaeologist and an ethnographer.

• An archaeologist studies human history by digging up old sites and looking at artifacts (like tools or pottery).
• An ethnographer studies different cultures and how people live.

Doris Stone was an expert in ancient cultures of Mesoamerica (parts of Mexico and Central America) and the "Intermediate Area" (lower Central America). She even led the National Museum of Costa Rica for a time. She also helped set up special study programs at universities in the U.S.

Her Life Story

Early Life and Family

Doris Zemurray was born in 1909 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her father was Sam Zemurray, who was sometimes called "Sam the Banana Man." He was an immigrant who started a very successful company called the Cuyamel Fruit Company. Later, he sold his company to the bigger United Fruit Company. He even became the director of the United Fruit Company for many years.

In 1917, Doris's family moved into a large, beautiful house in New Orleans. This house was near Tulane University. The family lived there for about 40 years. Later, the house was given to Tulane University and became the home for the university's presidents.

Education and Marriage

Doris Zemurray went to Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There, she studied anthropology, which is the study of human societies and cultures. She also studied archaeology. She finished college in 1930. While she was studying, she met and married Roger Thayer Stone. He was a physics student.

Starting Her Career

After graduating, Doris Stone began working at Tulane University. She joined the Department of Middle American Research, which later became the Middle American Research Institute (MARI). For eight years, she worked there, first studying cultures (ethnography) and then ancient sites (archaeology).

Life in Central America

In 1939, Doris Stone and her husband moved to Costa Rica. Roger had business interests there, owning a coffee farm near the capital city, San José. Doris lived and worked in Central America for the next two decades. She returned to New Orleans in 1961 after her father passed away and her husband retired.

Later Years and Legacy

Doris Stone and her husband, Roger Thayer Stone, helped create the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University. This center helps people learn more about Latin American cultures and history.

In 1973, Doris Stone received a special honorary degree from Union College in New York. This was her husband's old college.

In her later years, Doris was the president of the Zemurray Foundation. This foundation uses money left by her father to support education and cultural programs. Her husband had been the president before he passed away in 1983.

Doris Stone died in Covington, Louisiana, on October 21, 1994. She was 84 years old.

See also

• In Spanish: Doris Stone para niños