Robert Fleming Heizer was born in Denver, Colorado on July 13, 1915 to Ott Fleming and Martha (Madden). On July 31, 1940, Robert married Nancy Elizabeth Heizer. Robert and Nancy had three children; Stephen Rodney, Michael Madden and Sydney Allison.
Robert Heizer was an extremely well educated man. He received most of his college education at the University of California, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1936 and his Ph.D. in 1941. Twenty-four years later, in 1965, he earned a Doctor of Science from the University of Nevada.
Robert Heizer enjoyed teaching very much and spent most of his life doing just that. He started as an Instructor at the University of Oregon (1940 – 1941), then he moved on to the University of California at Los Angeles where he was also an Instructor (1945 – 1946). After a year there, he took a job at the University of California at Berkley where he became an Assistant Professor from 1946 to 1948, then an Associate Professor from 1949 to 1952, and then a Professor from 1952 to 1976.
One of the most notable places Robert did field work was Patrick’s Point State Park in Sacramento, California. During his time at Berkley in 1948, he headed a team that found human remains and associated funerary objects, which were from a Native American burial site at Patrick's Point State Park. Robert was probably better known for his writings than for his digs. Heizer wrote numerous books including The Archaeologist at Work (1959), Man’s Discovery of His Past (1962) and Almost Ancestors (1968).
Robert Heizer was also involved in many archaeological organizations. He was the Director of the University of California Archaeological Survey at Berkley from 1948 to 1960. He was also the Director of the Archaeological Research Facility from 1960 to 1979. And he was the Curator of the North American Archaeology Lowie Museum from 1950 to 1979.
Dr. Heizer has written many books some of which are listed below:
Francis Drake and the California Indians
The Four Ages of Laurai, with J. Mills
A Guide to Archaeological Field Methods
The Archaeologist at Work
Prehistoric Rock Art of Nevada and Eastern California. with Baumhoff.
Man's Discovery of His Past: The California Indians.
An Introduction to Prehistoric Archaeology. with Frank Hole.
Almost Ancestors. with T. Kroeber.
Anza and the Northwest Frontier of New Spain
The Indians of Los Angeles County
Languages and Nmaes of Californian Tribes
Who’s Who in America. Who’s Who Inc. Chicago, 1979.
Written by: Students in an Introduction to Anthropology Class, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota 2002