Gabriel Ward Lasker was born in New Earswick, Yorkshire England on April 29, 1912. At the age of four, he moved to the New World with his family where they would make their new home in America. Lasker started his college career at the University of Wisconsin. After two years of study in Wisconsin, Lasker transferred to the University of Michigan where he earned his Bachelors Degree in 1934. Because of the great depression, Lasker had a very hard time finding a job. After discussing the matter with his father, he eventually decided to travel to China to seek employment there. He spent two years in China at Chiao Tung University in Beijing were he trained executives of the national railway.
After returning to America, Lasker decided with the advice of friends to continue his education in Physical Anthropology. He enrolled in the graduate program at Harvard University were he was immediately accepted. Lasker worked hard at his studies and was a very proficient and intelligent student. He not only earned his Masters Degree at Harvard but he attained his PhD. there as well. Upon receiving his doctorate, Lasker again set out on a quest for a job. Times were not as bad as they once had been; Lasker was quickly able to find a job at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. It was here that Lasker would begin his career of teaching others. He was hired initially to teach Anatomy at the School of Medicine. He stayed on at Wayne State University for his whole career until his retirement in 1982. Even after retiring, Lasker stayed on the campus where he continued to work as Adjunct Professor of Anthropology and Professor Emeritus of Anatomy.
Dr. Lasker has contributed immensely to the advancement of the sciences. His knowledge has helped us gain an additional understanding in everything from Anthropology to Biology. Lasker has been acknowledged as one of the post World War II founders of modern human Biology and Physical Anthropology. He is often considered "the father of modern isonymy research," which is the study of human names through generations and geographical distances. Dr. Lasker's work with plasticity in human biology has revolutionized the science. Throughout his career, Lasker has been published more than 80 times. His first book was called Physical Anthropology, which he wrote in 1979. He followed this with another well-known book called the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, which influenced the whole discipline.
Gabriel Lasker died in August of 2002 at the Harper Hospital in Detroit from kidney disease. Dr. Lasker was a scholar who revolutionized the disciplines of Biology and Anthropology. He was a father who did not care about his fame or his reputation. He just cared about his family and the advancement of science and knowledge. He has passed his knowledge onto others in his life as a teacher.
References:
http://wsupress.wayne.edu/journals/laskerhh.htm
Written by: Students in an Introduction to Anthropology Class, Minnesota State University, Mankato 2002
Edited by: David Gardner 2007