I'm sorry to pass on the sad news of the death of Herbert Halpert, who
died peacefully at home on Friday night. With his passing, North
American folkloristics loses one of its truly legendary figures.
Trained as an anthropologist (Columbia) and a folklorist (Indiana), Dr.
Halpert had been a key player in the field since the 1930s. In the
late 1960s, he founded the Department of Folklore at Memorial
University of Newfoundland. Though perhaps best known for his work on
folktales, he was a prolific folksong and ballad collector, both in the
US and Canada. His work as a WPA song collector in the South is
recalled in a JAF article from 1992.
Dr. Halpert was emeritus (I don't think he ever "retired") by the time
I entered the Memorial program so I never had him as a teacher, but he
remained a forceful presence in the department. He was a larger than
life character; gruff in a curmudgeonly kind of way, but never
irascible. The breadth of his knowledge of the discipline was
awe-inspiring, and he was unfailingly generous in sharing that
knowledge and his personal library with any student who sought his
advice. He will be sorely missed.
A memorial service is tentatively planned for the middle of next week.
With respect
Jamie Moreira
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