Mark Hanna Watkins facts for kids
Mark Hanna Watkins (born November 23, 1903 – died February 24, 1976) was an important African-American expert in languages (a linguist) and human cultures (an anthropologist). He was born in Huntsville, Texas. He was the youngest of fourteen children in his family. His father was a Baptist minister.
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Who Was Mark Hanna Watkins?
Mark Hanna Watkins was a brilliant scholar who studied languages and people. He was one of the first African Americans to achieve major success in these fields. His work helped us understand different cultures and languages better. He focused especially on languages spoken in Africa.
Early Life and Education
Mark Hanna Watkins started his journey in Texas. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Science, from Prairie View State College in 1926. After graduating, he worked there for two more years. He was an assistant registrar, which means he helped manage student records.
Studying Languages and Cultures
In 1929, Mark Watkins went to the University of Chicago. There, he studied with a famous professor named Edward Sapir. For his Master's degree, he wrote about how different groups in Mexico used words for family members. This included seven language groups that were not related to each other.
A Pioneer in African Studies
After his Master's degree, Watkins decided to study African languages for his Ph.D. This was a big step. Between 1930 and 1932, he wrote a grammar book for the Chichewa language. This language is spoken in Central Africa. He worked with Kamuzu Banda, who was a student from Nyasaland (now Malawi). Kamuzu Banda later became the first President of Malawi in 1966.
Working with a Future President
Watkins's grammar book, A Grammar of Chichewa, was very special. It was the first time an American had written a grammar for an African language. When he finished his Ph.D., Mark Watkins made history. He became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. degree in anthropology. This was a huge achievement at the time.
Teaching and Research Career
From 1934 to 1947, Mark Watkins taught anthropology at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1943, Fisk University started the first African Studies program in the United States. This program focused on teaching about African history, cultures, and languages. Mark Watkins was one of the six professors who taught in this new program.
Helping Students Connect Across Continents
He briefly returned to Chicago in 1944. Then, from 1945 to 1947, he did research in Mexico and Guatemala. In 1947, he moved to Howard University in Washington, D.C. He worked there as a professor of anthropology until he retired in 1972. At Howard, he continued to focus on African languages. He also worked hard to create programs that allowed students from Africa and America to visit and learn from each other.
Legacy and Impact
Mark Hanna Watkins passed away on February 24, 1976. Just before he died, he worked on one last paper about the Setswana language. His wife helped him finish it. This paper was published in 1978, after his death. Mark Hanna Watkins left behind an important legacy. He opened doors for future African-American scholars in linguistics and anthropology.
