author
H. Otley (Henry Otley) Beyer
1883–1966
An American anthropologist who made the Philippines his life's work, he became a central figure in the study of the country's indigenous cultures, archaeology, and prehistory. His writing and teaching shaped generations of students and left a lasting mark on Philippine anthropology.
1 Audiobook
Origin Myths among the Mountain Peoples of the Philippines
by H. Otley (Henry Otley) Beyer
About the author
Born in Edgewood, Iowa, on July 13, 1883, Henry Otley Beyer spent most of his adult life in the Philippines. He is widely remembered for teaching and researching Philippine indigenous cultures and for helping build the study of anthropology in the country.
Beyer taught at the University of the Philippines, where he became a leading figure in anthropology and ethnology. He was often described as a pioneering force in Philippine ethnology, archaeology, and prehistory, and his work strongly influenced how these fields developed in the early 20th century.
He died in Manila on December 31, 1966. Some of his ideas, including parts of his migration theory, were influential in their time but are no longer fully accepted today; still, his importance as an early scholar and institution-builder remains widely recognized.