Dr. Keesing's Research Work

In Pacific Islands

From Our Own Correspondent

Apia Jan. 27.

DR. FELIX M. KEESING, professor of anthropology and executive head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Stanford University, Cali

fornia, who has acted as Senior Commis-J sioner for the United States on the South!

Pacific Commission, and who is on sab-( batical leave from the University for th.ol academic year, 1950-51, has recently completed some research work in Samoan assisted by Mrs. Keesing.

Professor and Mrs. Keesing are travel-J ling under a Rockefeller Foundation Grant and visiting the various SoutU Pacific countries to consult with local ex-: perts and study current social ano. economic conditions and problems, espec-c ially from the viewpoint of applied anthro-< pology, Professor Keesing is also con-i suiting with local authorities as a Commissioner of the South Pacific!

Commission.

On his present extended trip, he and hi:i wife have visited or are going to visit Hawaii, New Caledonia (Sixth Session o:c the South Pacific Commission, where hu acted as Chairman for the Session), Fijii Tonga, Western and Eastern Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, Papua, New Guineas then back to New Caledonia for thu Seventh Session of the Commission, them to Fiji for a longer stay.

They spent about six weeks in Westerr Samoa, mainly on the island of Savaiii and five weeks in American Samoa iri December and January.. In America!.

Samoa they visited the island of Manuas Professor Keesing grew up in Nev Zealand, but was not born there, and ii an American citizen. He spent some timn in Western Samoa previous to the pubc lication of his standard work on th« Territory “Modern Samoa.”

Lieutenant-Commander C. R. Woods!

F.R.N.V.R., and Lieutenant V. B. Brown F.M.F., have been appointed by the Governor of Fiji to be honorary aides-dea camp.