Lewis Henry Morgan Lecture Series posters

Lewis Henry Morgan (1818-1881) was a founding figure of American anthropology. After graduating from Union College in 1840, he returned to his hometown of Aurora, New York, to pursue his career as a lawyer. After finding little success, Morgan moved to Rochester in 1844 and began studying the Iroquois. He published his ethnography League of the Iroquois in 1851. Twenty years later, Morgan published Systems of Consanguinity and Affinity of the Human Family, which compares the kinship systems and social structures of various cultures including the Iroquois. Ancient Society, published in 1877, was one of Morgan’s most influential works, inspiring Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Morgan was also a generous benefactor of the University of Rochester, donating much of his fortune for the purpose of establishing a College for Women as well as donating his personal library. His collection is located in the Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation.

In 1963, the University’s Department of Anthropology established the Lewis Henry Morgan Lecture Series to remember Morgan’s legacy and honor his contributions to the University of Rochester. Funding for the series was provided by the families of alumni Joseph R. Wilson and Joseph C. Wilson. Professor Leslie White of the University of Michigan, a Morgan scholar, gave the first lecture, entitled “Lewis Henry Morgan: The Man, The Scientist.”