H. Otley (Henry Otley) Beyer

Born in 1883, Henry Otley Beyer was an American scholar who spent most of his adult life in the Philippines. He became a professor at the University of the Philippines and is widely remembered as the founder and first chairman of its Department of Anthropology.

His research and collecting focused on the archaeology, languages, history, religions, and cultures of many communities in the Philippines. Archives of his papers show the huge range of his work, including photographs, maps, notebooks, drafts, and source materials on Philippine ethnography and archaeology.

Beyer died in 1966, but his name remains closely tied to the early development of anthropology in the Philippines. While some of his ideas are now discussed more critically by later scholars, his role in building collections, teaching students, and encouraging the study of Philippine prehistory gave him a lasting place in the field.