Morris Edward Opler was born on May 16, 1907 in Buffalo, New York. He studied at the University of Buffalo, where in 1929 he earned a bachelors degree in sociology and a year later he earned a masters degree in anthropology. Opler's fieldwork for his dissertation -- as part of a summer field school taught by Ruth Benedict-- took place at the Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico. In 1933, Opler received his Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Chicago. While at the University of Chicago he studied under both Edward Sapir and A.R. Radcliffe-Brown.
Opler was an ethnographer and cultural anthropologist with a number of geographical areas of interest. Early on (and as a continuing interest) he worked with Apachean people (Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, and Plains/Kiowa Apache), but later in his career turned his attention to Asian studies. Opler worked in many distinguished posts, beginning with his employment as an assistant anthropologist at the Bureau of Indian Affairs (1936-1937), taught sociology at Reed College (1937-1938), was an assistant professor of anthropology at Claremont College (1938-1942), and held a Guggenheim fellowship (1942-1943). During part of World War II (1943-1946) Opler worked at the Office of War Information, and then moved on to teach at Harvard University (1946-1948). Opler made another academic move to Cornell University (1949-1969), where he retired from. He took his final academic position at the University of Oklahoma (1969-1977). After his second retirement, Opler published several pieces in the southwest portion of the Handbook of North American Indians.
Opler used his academic position and in-depth knowledge set to act as an advocate for the people he studied and worked with. During his work at the Office of War Information, Opler took the opportunity to conduct ethnographic research at the Manzanar War Relocation Center in Owens Valley, California. He wrote three legal briefs supporting Japanese American legal rights, two of which were heard before the United States Supreme Court. He was thanked for his work by the Japanese American Citizens League. Opler also wrote about about the poor conditions on the Mescalero and Jicarilla Apache reservations, and assisted the Mescalero and Chiricahua Apaches with land claims in the 1950s and 1960s.
In memory of her husband, Lucille Ritter Opler established a scholarship fund for anthropology students at the University of Oklahoma.
Guide to the Morris Edward Opler Papers [c.a. 1960-1996], Collection Number: 14-25-3238. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library. 2004. http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMA03238.html
The University of Oklahoma. Department of Anthropology. http://www.ou.edu/anthropology/Programs/Graduate/funding_awards.html
Webster, Anthony K. and Scott Rushforth. "Morris Edward Opler (1907-1996)." American Anthropologist 102 (2):328-329. 2000. http://www.anthrosource.net/doi/pdf/10.1525/aa.2000.102.2.328
Written by: Students in an Introduction to Anthropology Class, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota 2003
Edited by: Emily Hildebrant, 2007