African Cultures Scholar Shack Dies at 76
BERKELEY, Calif. — Dr.William Alfred Shack, a scholar of African cultures and professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, has died of cancer, university officials reported.
Shack, who was also dean emeritus of the school's graduate division, died late last month. He was 76.
Internationally known for his work on the Gurage people of Ethiopia and for a series of books on African society, Shack was known on campus for his evenhanded stewardship of several administrative posts.
"He was a scholar and a gentleman, one of the leading anthropologists of Africa and a man dedicated to public service," says Dr. Paul Rabinow, chairman of Berkeley's anthropology department.
In 1991, Berkeley awarded him its highest honor, the Berkeley Citation, in recognition of his multiple contributions. While dean of the graduate division, Shack established a student exchange program with several French universities, for which France awarded him the Chevalier L'Ordre National Du Merite in 1987.
Born in Chicago, Shack served in the South Pacific during World War II. He earned a bachelor's from the Art Institute of Chicago, a master's in anthropology from the University of Chicago and a doctorate from the London School of Economics. Shack is survived by his wife, Dorothy Nash Shack, and a son, Hailu Araya Shack.
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