Robert B. Edgerton

Professor Robert B. Edgerton passed away following a stroke in July, 2016 at the age of 84. Professor Edgerton had a distinguished 47-year career at UCLA. He wrote or edited over 30 books, 45 peer-reviewed articles, and countless chapters, forewords, and reviews. He was renowned for his elegant and wry style of writing and lecturing. He was committed to the investigation and understanding of the complexities of human nature. His intellectual contribution to the medical and human sciences was to provide a cultural and social context for understanding mental illness and the disabilities that afflict so many, and to understand the experiences of people in their local community context from their own moral and emotional points of view. His eminent academic career included the distinction of being the first UCLA School of Medicine faculty member to be appointed to the position of University Professor in 1996. The title University Professor is reserved for scholars of the highest international distinction who are recognized and honored as the top scholars on their campus and are respected as teachers of exceptional ability. Furthermore, this title confers affiliation with the entire University of California system beyond the home campus. Professor Edgerton was elected Fellow to two of the most prestigious academic associations in the United States: the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award at UCLA in 1974 and mentored and inspired innumerable students. He served as President of the Society for Medical Anthropology (1976-77) and President of the Society for Psychological Anthropology (1985-6) (where he also received the Distinguished Career Research Award), both in the American Anthropological Association. Professor Edgerton received many other distinguished research awards throughout his long career. Professor Edgerton will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery. He is survived by his wife, Karen L. Ito (Edgerton) who has established the Robert B. Edgerton Endowed Graduate Student Award in memory of Professor Edgerton's legacy as a distinguished scholar, teacher, colleague and friend. If you would like to make a gift to this fund that supports graduate students across the four sub-fields of anthropology, please visit the department's online giving page for the Robert B. Edgerton Endowed Graduate Student Award http://giving.ucla.edu/Edgerton If you wish to donate by check, please make your gift payable to The UCLA Foundation, memo line: Robert Edgerton Endowed Graduate Student Award Fund or Fund #82315E and send to UCLA College of Letters and Science, 1309 Murphy Hall, Box 951413, Los Angeles, CA 90095.