Ralph Bolton

The Executive Board of the Association of Senior Anthropologists shares the sad news that Ralph Bolton, Professor Emeritus, Pomona College, an active member of the ASA, has passed away. A faculty member since 1971, he taught courses in human sexuality, Andean anthropology, and HIV. His groundbreaking work on HIV focused on gay men, which he carried out for more than 20 years. He began his work in rural Peru as a Peace Corps volunteer. In 2005, he created the Chijnaya Foundation in partnership with the rural Peruvian village of the same name. The foundation (https://chijnayafoundation.org) supports health, education and community development in rural Andean communities He always promoted the practice of giving back to the communities where anthropologists conduct their work, an issue of profound ethical importance. As he said, “We need to work with communities to achieve their goals, not merely study them.” He reflected on this commitment in a 2023 ASA-sponsored session on reciprocity in field research and, later, published an article on this topic. In 2010, he received the annual Franz Boas Award for Exemplary Service to Anthropology and, in 2025, he received the Malinowski award from the Society for Applied Anthropology for lifetime achievement in dedication of anthropology to the solution of human problems. Ralph and his life partner bought and ran an historic inn in Santa Fe which provided a welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds, including the LGTBQ community. He will be remembered fondly for his warmth, openness, scholarship, and applied contributions to our discipline.