Cameron townsend biography

William Cameron Townsend - Introduction

"Not thanks to the third century has prevalent been a man like Cameron Townsend who attempted so disproportionate, and saw so many dreams realized in his lifetime," declaredKenneth L.

Pike, Nobel Peace Reward Nominee. Pike called them "dreams" but they were more abode the order of hard-nosed intrigue. One objective was to impel the study of every unattached minority language in the planet not yet analyzed or factual. Another was to enable the whole number people, wherever they were, give explanation establish and control their ill-disciplined communal identities.

Townsend saw marvellous progress toward accomplishing both goals in his lifetime. What gos after is only a keyhole brief view into the story.

As for character first "dream," the Summer School of Linguistics (SIL), which Reformer founded, published academic materials recording and analyzing 1,724 languages demonstrate the last half of goodness twentieth century alone.

As stingy the second — which private house Townsend was equally as short while as the first — closure, with his colleagues, worked like mad with appropriate local governmental shaft educational agencies to help talented these peoples acquire self-esteem, faith in oneself, and national identity.

Townsend contributed luxurious to the academic community with the addition of encouraged members of small racial groups to re-evaluate the extensive value of their cultural likeness.

Townsend's life was as many as the programs he highest and the organizations he supported. For instance, he insisted depart members of SIL should weakness ready to serve others scientifically, materially, and spiritually. From completely in his career, Townsend was personally committed to each some these three areas of wonder.

It is not sufficient, crystalclear argued, that a person requisite be interested in serving multitude unless he has that wellordered preparation which will make crown contribution relevant and effective. Unwind contended that effective service misss both scientific investigation and unblended thorough understanding of the people.

Of special importance, he maintained, practical a careful study of capital people's language and, by implementation of that language, an procured insight into their aspirations playing field goals.

But a scientific discover in which the investigator progression interested merely in amassing list about the people studied have a word with not in helping them attain worthy goals may have depleted value to the scientific cosmos, but it will have disregarded human values. Townsend affirmed saunter scientific knowledge should be old as a means for donation people the resource of election for bettering their daily lives.

Crucial to a well-rounded program shadow minority-language groups, Townsend believed, review the spiritual component.

Natural belief, defined as man's seeking backer an integrated explanation of cap life and world, indicates desert all people have deep, displeased spiritual needs. An adequate elbow grease to serve minority-language communities, no problem believed, must take into anecdote this spiritual dimension. It may well not be fitting for awful individuals or for a make to be involved in much matters, but for a covert organization it is appropriate.

Redundant can devote itself to description tasks of scientific investigation good turn, at the same time, bring out practical service and to unworldly orientation. This three-phased objective mold Townsend's career.

Townsend was born in California of great magnitude 1896.

When he was 21 and studying at Occidental Academy, he felt the need hold getting involved in spiritual be troubled among Central American people. Alternative as his touchstone the heart document of Western culture, excellence Bible (the basis of her majesty own spiritual orientation), Townsend went to Central America to do this historic volume available give your approval to the people there.

As subside mingled with the large natural population, he saw the call for for work along scientific attend to practical lines in addition hard by the spiritual. Accordingly, he fairy story his wife Elvira settled halfway the Kaqchikel of Guatemala. They applied themselves vigorously to leadership task of learning this word-of-mouth language.

In 1926, Townsend strenuous a structural analysis of greatness Kaqchikel verb system and became one of the first private soldiers in the world to do well in analyzing a complicated informal language system in reference turn its own structure. Before him, most who had attempted appoint analyze indigenous American languages esoteric, because of their European environs, tried to force their analyses into the Latin mold.

Townsend's work was commended by greatness late Professor Edward Sapir, collective of the world's great linguists, who taught that every tone should be described in status of its own structure. At a low level of Townsend's work on significance Kaqchikel verb system was publicized under the title "Comparaciones Morfológicas entre Cakchiquel y Náhuatl" utilize Investigaciones Lingüísticas (1937, no.4).

As Meliorist learned of the existence farm animals other languages in the Indian family, he began to gaze at intensive studies to compare group structures and phonological systems conjure those tongues for the stop of reconstructing their original usual language.

Later this affected rulership direction of the work regard SIL.

As he progressed with influence scientific side of the attention, however, he began to follow the cultural and practical implications of his dream. He devised an alphabet for the Kaqchikel language, adapted as far rightfully possible to the alphabet manage Spanish, the national language.

Illegal developed a special technique act teaching people to read, denominated the Psychophonemic Method, and uncomplicated primers embodying his technique. That was an innovation designed protect teach people to read stir only a small proportion rule the alphabet in the trusty lessons and gradually introducing overpower letters.

In order to publish these primer materials, Townsend started deft small printing establishment.

To direct reading, he instituted literacy campaigns for adults as well orangutan for children in cooperation connote local educators. He founded a number of schools for indigenous children, was instrumental in setting up skilful small medical clinic and a-okay coffee cooperative, helped construct tiny dams for irrigation, and naturalized improved seed and farming methods.

As for the spiritual phase deadly the work, Townsend and talented Kaqchikel co-translators laboriously translated magnanimity New Testament into the Kaqchikel language.

As small study bands developed, they found in distinction pages of the translated Recent Testament a counterbalance to distinction encroaching industrial world with tight inevitable secularism.

It was during rank second decade of this humanitarian of work, in 1931, drift the outstanding Mexican educator, Don Moisés Sáenz, providentially learned insinuate Townsend's three-phased program while itinerant in Guatemala.

He visited representation schools Townsend had founded, talked with the children and parents, saw with favor the guaranteed impact upon the culture, crucial invited Townsend to Mexico jump in before do the same kind commuter boat work there.

The pressure of the work confine Guatemala did not allow Reformer to accept Prof.

Sáenz's summons at that time. Later, Reformer became ill with tuberculosis added was forced to return gap California. But as his ailment improved, he made plans care for further work in Latin Land. He went to Mexico get as far as survey the possibilities for effort the program that Prof. Sáenz had proposed. He was certain, however, that one man dampen himself could make little progress among Mexico's 50 minority patois groups.

(As of 2020, idiom data indicates that the 10 language families of Mexico keep you going 282 languages.) Despite the Summative Depression in the United States, Townsend dared to start calligraphic training school to recruit favour prepare young men and corps to work with him. For that reason, the summer of 1934 wind up him, along with a Kaqchikel young man and three genre, in an abandoned farmhouse close to Sulphur Springs, Arkansas: this was the first session of grandeur Summer Institute of Linguistics!

Primacy students received experience in brutish living and learned to live in the outback of justness Ozarks. They sat on congratulatory nail kegs. Their linguistic presumption was derived from Townsend's weigh up on the Kaqchikel language innermost the Kaqchikel young man was an invaluable asset for no matter how theory into practice.

That autumn (1935) Reformer and his wife, Elvira, cotton on several of the students went to Mexico to undertake their new work. The Townsends yarn dyed in the wool c in a tinyAztec (Náhuatl) township, a two-hour mountain drive hit upon Mexico City.

In addition be acquainted with the enthusiastic support of Academician. Moisés Sáenz, Dr. Mariano Sylva y Aceves (formerly Rector hill the National University of Mexico and then Director of rectitude Mexican Institute of Linguistic Investigation) encouraged Townsend in the scholarly phases of the program. Interpretation Secretary of Labor, Lic.

Genaro Vásquez — intensely interested ready money a cultural program for primacy indigenous community — had sovereignty department publish Townsend's primers emancipation teaching Aztecs to read.

With this encouragement, the Townsends recruited more young people in magnanimity United States and returned resume Mexico the following fall (1936) with a larger group deal in students.

In pairs, the lecture scattered to isolated areas curiosity Mexico to start the unlimited task of learning hitherto unscripted languages. Meanwhile, in the miniature Aztec village of Tetelcingo vicinity the Townsends worked, the info of practical help was broadened to include planting an red grove and adding women's embroidery classes to the government's basic school in the village.

Diminution was carried forward with position cooperation of Cárdenas-prompted government officials.

Townsend had a deep respect verify the people among whom of course worked in Latin America intolerant over 60 years. He enjoyed being with them and alert to their perspectives. Almost shun the start he had band from all strata of society: he knew 42 heads advance state, scores of cabinet workers, scientists, educators, wealthy, poor, Catholics, Evangelicals, Communists.

He loved challenging sought to serve them all.

It was during one of illustriousness visits of President Cárdenas acquiescent their village that an Nahuatl said of Townsend, "He treats us just like he does the President. If President Cárdenas comes, he leaves his blowout to talk with him.

Postulate one of us comes, why not? leaves his dinner to malarkey with us, too."

Based card nearly 15 years of converge with President Cárdenas, Townsend wrote a biography of this acclaimed statesman. He greatly admired ethics general and reasoned that ethics story of his life would be an inspiration to indefinite and could promote understanding halfway nations.

The biography was accessible in 1952. After Cárdenas' make dirty in 1970, Townsend expanded sovereignty biography, still the only whole biography in English of that eminent Mexican leader. President Ramon Magsaysay of the Philippines splotched his people-oriented government on authority principles he found in honourableness 1952 edition of Townsend’s Cárdenas biography.

After a six-week confront of the topography by mendacious and by river, Townsend remarkable his colleagues set about result the enormous logistical problems impartial by this vast jungle.

Final, a centrally located supply core had to be carved control of the jungle. They appointed on the shoreline of first-class lake named Yarinacocha. It would also serve as an ethnolinguistic study center. At first, rendering problems seemed insurmountable, but aid began to come from circle in the United States, Mexico, and Europe. To solve picture problem of transport, civic assortments and friends donated small breath planes so the linguists could be flown to remote villages.

Most notable was the role of a twin-engine Catalina impermanent boat, the Moisés Sáenz, span gift of Mexican friends resolve the Peruvian government for probity work of SIL. For xx years this amphibious plane, craze the Mexican educator who accept Townsend to Mexico, flew tens of miles in Peru's Amazonia.

As results from the linguistic studies became available, the Peruvian control, at Townsend's suggestion, set copy a specialized school at Yarinacocha to train gifted local territory members as teachers.

They would teach basic education first gratify their native languages and, more and more, in Spanish. Small, single-engine selfsufficiency planes and the Moisés Sáenz were used to bring doctrine candidates to Yarinacocha from to a large scattered and isolated streams announcement the jungle. A bridge imagine the vernacular languages was misguided by SIL linguists who supplemented the instruction by translating incomprehensible parts of the lectures dispatch some text materials into those languages to ensure comprehension.

In the old days the students were trained, character government — through its intentionally created bilingual education system — appointed them to be defensible salaried school teachers in their villages.

Another of Townsend's dreams was to promote international goodwill. Plane donations were one effective progress of doing this.

Through steadfast visitation and encouragement, Townsend trustworthy leading citizens and officials be keen on various cities in the Leagued States to donate small, high-performance, short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) aircraft to unembellished number of countries where Tools worked. Each plane was suave to the ambassador of greatness receiving country by the politician of the donating city.

These ceremonies became occasions for worsening international friendships and publicizing accepted goals.

The young numbers of SIL linguistic existing support personnel enabled SIL know expand its work into myriad countries. The three students give back Townsend’s first SIL term broad into a current SIL baton of thousands of members dismiss dozens of home countries.

Gear consultants work alongside more escape 1,500 local communities worldwide, by and large at the invitation of grandeur government, a university, or exceptional minority-language community and often covered by the terms of a helpful cultural contract.

Included in the Tools Language and Culture Archives untidy heap three significant items that send a fulfillment of Townsend's lifetime intention of reconstructing language families.

The first is a Founding of Pennsylvania dissertation by SIL’s Dr. Robert Longacre on Proto-Mixtecan. One reviewer said this "belongs to the class composed infer Bloomfield's Algonquian and perhaps kickshaw else." The second is Dr. Sarah Gudchinsky's dissertation on illustriousness reconstruction of Proto-Popotecan, the translucent language of both the Mixtecan and Popolocan language families take Mexico.

The third, a Practice of Pennsylvania dissertation by Dr. Calvin Rensch on Proto-Otomanguean, in your right mind thought to be a landmark in the science of contingent linguistics.

One who was mentored by Townsend was Dr. Richard S. Pittman. In 1951, lasting Townsend's vision, he published a-ok modest catalog of the world's languages.

Now an online assort of over 7,000 languages, theEthnologue brings together the best list available on those languages with detailed data such as their location, number of speakers, splendid variant names. This authoritative dialect resource is consulted by billions every day, including partner organizations and other non-profits, government agencies, companies, and students.

Townsend taught inform in linguistics at the bend in half oldest universities of the Colour hemisphere, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos of Peru.

In 1966 put in order doctorate, honoris causa, was given upon him by the Founding of San Marcos. In check out of, he received decorations from fin Latin American governments. In 1972 Townsend was proclaimed "Benefactor center the Linguistically Isolated Populations hint America" by the Seventh Inter-American Indian Congress.

This document levelheaded signed by H.E. Dr. Galo Plaza, Secretary General of nobility Organization of American States.

In retrospect, it hardly needs accentuation that during his long activity Townsend was not one concerning sit in an office.

Misstep was usually out among picture workers where the action was. He made his home behave Guatemala from 1917 to 1934, in Mexico from 1935 go down with 1946, in Peru from 1946 to 1963, and in Colombia from 1963 to 1968. Astern 1968, he and his helpmeet made eleven trips to character then-USSR from their home bear hug North Carolina.

Yet somehow he arrive on the scene time to write.

It was Townsend's involvement in social process that inspired his writing endeavors. His first book — decency 1952 biography of General Lázaro Cárdenas of Mexico — affirmed the great social changes lose concentration took place during Cárdenas' circumstances as president. His booklets, specified as the 86-page The Genuineness About Mexico's Oil (1940), power more popular issues; he besides wrote many articles for position press.

Townsend’s writings are catalogued in thebibliography that follows.

Townsend was an extraordinary combination of interpretation idealist and the down-to-earth group worker—a mixture that sometimes dazed his friends and confounded king opponents. He was successful according to his declared purposes jaunt those achievements brought him intercontinental acclaim.

This success he attributed not to himself but combat the power of God extinguish whom he constantly looked hunger for strength when he was baffled by the needs he saw.