Professor James W. Dow passed away on July 13, 2015.  He was first hired at Oakland University in 1970 after teaching at Northeastern University for four years.

It was then that he began working as a special instructor, working his way up to the role of professor emeritus of anthropology and eventually retiring in 2006. 

He earned his B.S. in Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during 1957. 

Former colleague and fellow professor emeritus of anthropology, Peter Bertocci, said that after working in applied mathematics, Dow spent “10 years working on a PhD in anthropology from Brandeis University.”

According to the departments of sociology, anthropology, social work and criminal justice, his research was largely “conducted in the Caribbean and Mexico, with an emphasis on the religious and shamanic practices of its indigenous peoples.”

In total, Dow penned four books, edited two, and wrote over 90 scholarly articles.

Dow encouraged and wrote about the application of the scientific method into his work and created the first anthropological discussion groups called the Applied Anthropology Computer Network (ANTHAP) in 1991.

Additionally, he was a member of the executive board and other committees within America Anthropological Association and served a term as the President of the Central States Anthropological Society, according to Bertocci. 

To his colleagues and students, he was a beloved professor and innovative man. 

Professor Spencer Wood stated that he was “a wonderful colleague,” while Bertocci emphasized how students benefitted “from learning about his innovative use of computers” in anthropological research methods.

Dow made a mark on anthropological research and Oakland University, leaving a legacy that, for many, will last far beyond his lifetime.