William Simmons

William Scranton Simmons (September 10, 1938 – June 2, 2018) was an American anthropologist specializing in the culture and history of the Narragansett people. Life and career Born in Rhode Island, Simmons attend Classical High School. He subsequently enrolled at Brown University where he received a degree in human biology in 1960. During his undergraduate studies he carried out archeological fieldwork in Alaska with archaeologist J. Louis Giddings. Simmons completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology at Harvard University, and took a position at the University of California Berkeley from 1967 to 1998. First as a professor in the Department of Anthropology, and then as Dean of the Division of Social Sciences. In 1998 Simmons returned to Brown University as Professor of Anthropology, and as Provost and also served as Acting Director of the Haffenreffer Museum from 2012–2013. He was known among his friends and students for his trademark cowboy boots. He was married to Cheryl Simmons, and had two daughters.