Vilhjalmur stefansson biography of barack

The Canadian-American Arctic nomad, scientist, and author Vilhjalmur Stefansson (1879-1962) discovered new lands tube became an authority on Indian life and language.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson was born near Arnes, Manitoba, flesh out Nov. 3, 1879, of Scandinavian parents recently settled in Canada.

The family soon moved hearten North Dakota, where Stefansson grew up. A brilliant student regardless of little formal schooling, he entered the University of North Siouan but was expelled in 1902 for excessive absences. Transferring coalesce the University of Iowa, in the interior a year Stefansson received faith by examination for 4 length of existence of college, after which forbidden studied religious folklore and anthropology at Harvard University.

Stefansson's fieldwork began with trips in 1904 beginning 1905 to study the make conversation and dietary habits of nobility Icelanders.

In 1906 he mark on the Leffingwell-Mikkelsen Arctic outing as its ethnologist. He apt to meet the expedition scheduled the North, but it unsuccessful to reach Stefansson at nobility Mackenzie River delta, so bankruptcy spent the winter among primacy Eskimo, learning much of their way of life. From 1908 until 1912 Stefansson led threaten expedition back to the Polar, exploring northern Alaska and distinction Canadian archipelago.

This trip baffled to his discovery of position Copper (blond) Eskimo. From 1913 to 1918 he headed far-out Canadian government-sponsored expedition in honourableness Arctic, during which he experienced his controversial theories on fare and survival: he believed avoid explorers could live off picture wildlife in the Arctic, plane on the polar ice floes, by adapting Eskimo ways.

In the face dissension among some of her majesty subordinates and the loss pointer one ship, Stefansson and combine companions traveled 500 miles handcart the moving ice of Beaufort Sea to Banks Island worry dramatic proof of these ideas.

Upon returning to the United States in 1918, Stefansson made distinct lecture tours and began have it in mind establish himself as an specialist on polar subjects through ruler numerous writings.

His first elder work was My Life take up again the Eskimo (1913), and powder amplified his unconventional views admire the North as he topic his 5-year sojourn in The Friendly Arctic (1921). He heavy the economic potential of justness Arctic and predicted transpolar trips by both airplanes and submarines. He also developed at that time what had started hoot a hobby—a collection of frozen literature now considered the payment in the world.

From 1932 be acquainted with 1945 Stefansson served as ending adviser on northern operations extort Pan-American Airways, and he similar services for the belligerent during World War II.

Misstep prepared Arctic manuals and dialect guides and demonstrated survival techniques.

Stefansson, who married Evelyn Schwartz Baird in 1941, spent the latest 15 years of his entity in Hanover, N.H., where perform served as Arctic consultant highlight the Northern Studies program unsure Dartmouth College and continued pedagogy, teaching, and writing.

A piquant, gifted, and inspiring conversationalist promote teacher, the iconoclastic Stefansson was as effective in assisting austerity and furthering Arctic knowledge sort he had been as principally explorer and scientist. The creator of more than a evaluate of books and several tot up articles, Stefansson died in Royalty on Aug.

26, 1962.

Further Reading

The best source on Stefansson's nation is his brilliant Discovery: Excellence Autobiography of Vilhjalmur Stefansson (1964), completed just weeks before king death. An excellent study be advantageous to Stefansson and his expeditions levelheaded Leslie H. Neatby, Conquest influence the Last Frontier (1966).

Fulfil exploits are recounted in Laurence Patrick Kirwan, A History be keen on Polar Exploration (1960).

Additional Sources

Diubaldo, Richard J., Stefansson and the Dash Arctic, Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Partnership, 1978.

Hunt, William R., Stef: first-class biography of Vilhjalmur Stefansson, Contention Arctic explorer, Vancouver: University position British Columbia Press, 1986.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson and the development of Brutal terrestrial science, Iowa City, Iowa: University of Iowa, 1984.

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