Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
{{infobox person|name	Jean Houston
Occupation	Teacher, Lecturer, Speaker, Researcher in Human Capacities, Philosopher
Nationality	American
Fields	Cross-cultural mythology and spirituality, dimensions of human potential, social artistry
Influences	Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Margaret Mead, Joseph Campbell}}

Dr. Jean Houston (born 10 May 1937) is an American scholar, lecturer, author and philosopher who has helped pioneer and motivate the human potentials movement. As a teacher and visionary thinker, Dr Houston holds conferences and seminars with social leaders, educational institutions and business organizations worldwide. She has worked in over 40 cultures and 100 countries, helping leaders maintain cultural uniqueness as their countries become part of the global community. As an author, Houston has written or co-written nearly 30 books. She has been an advisor to political leaders and to UNICEF and, since 2003, has worked with The United Nations Development Group training leaders in the new field of Social Artistry.

Early Years

Dr. Houston was born May 10, 1937, in New York City, to Mary Todaro Houston, of Sicilian American descent, and Jack Houston, descended from Sam Houston of Texas. Jack Houston was a comedy writer who developed material for stage, television and the movies. His work required him to move frequently, and the young Houston experienced life in many places, attending over 20 schools by the time she was 12. She also met many celebrities through her father. After the breakup of her parents' marriage, she spent her teen years in New York City. Houston participated in many school and outside activities, coming in contact with a number of the personages who at that time resided in New York. As president of a group of school journalists, she met both Helen Keller and Eleanor Roosevelt during this period, but it was an accidental encounter that would bring her into contact with the man who would become the greatest influence on the young scholar. While walking her dog near her own home, Houston literally ran into Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French philosopher and Jesuit priest whose revolutionary ideas of spirituality were quite beyond his time. The two became friends, though Houston knew him only as "Mr. Thayer," and they would walk together regularly, conversing on subjects that helped form an insatiable thirst for ideas and an openness to spirituality that would serve Houston for the rest of her life.

Education and Early Career

While earning her BA from Barnard College, Houston became involved in acting and combined her efforts to earn an academic degree with a stage career, spending most of her spare time in theaters and enjoying a measure of success as an actor. When the time came to make a decision for a life path, however, Houston found herself choosing to further her studies into the human mind. She subsequently earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Union Graduate School and a Ph.D. in Religiion from the Graduate Theological Foundation. While participating in a government sanctioned research project on the effects of LSD (before such research was banned), Houston became acquainted with Dr. Robert Masters, a writer and a researcher into the varieties of human behavior and potentials. The two married in 1965 and soon became known for their work in the Human Potential Movement. They are considered to be among the movement's principle founders. Together they established The Foundation for Mind Research. Houston's early work in LSD research led her to a deeper awareness of the potentials of the human mind. She became a regular lecturer on college campuses, encouraging students to seek their potential without the use of drugs. Further research into the human mind and capacities led to associations with many high achieving people as she and Masters sought a better understanding of characteristics that led to greatness. Among many others, she worked closely with Carl Jung, Buckminster Fuller, and Aldous Huxley. During the years of NASA moon landings, she worked with returning astronauts, including Edgar Mitchell, to help them uncover details of what they saw in space.

Academic Career

Dr. Houston lectured in Psychology and Philosophy at Hunter College and taught at Marymount College. She has guest lectured at a number of universities, including [http://www.ucsc.edu/ The University of California at Santa Cruz">The University of California at Santa Cruz">[http://www.ucsc.edu/ The University of California at Santa Cruz. During this period, Houston began an association with the anthropologist Margaret Mead that would last until Mead's death and included periods during which Mead lived in Houston's home. Through Margaret Mead, Houston began to work in cultures around the world and expanded her knowledge of societies and cultural ethos. Another strong influence on Houston's work came from her association with mythologist Joseph Campbell. Houston worked closely with Campbell on his PBS television series. This work increased her understanding of and appreciation for the role of mythology and storytelling on societies. She had first become impressed by Campbelll and his work as a young girl, when she read Campbell's groundbreaking work on world mythologies, The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Controversy

By the 1990s, Houston was well known for her work as a writer, lecturer, and human potentials researcher. During the Clinton presidential years, Houston was invited by Hillary Clinton to work with her in The White House as an advisor while Ms. Clinton was writing her own book, It Takes a Village. Drawing on methods she had developed to help people access wells of their own knowledge, Dr. Houston suggested an imaginary meeting between Clinton and Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the historical figures Ms. Clinton admired. This visualization was aimed at tapping into Clinton's own inner wisdom. While no actual attempts were made to contact spirits and no dead people were harmed in this process, the politically fired media frenzy that resulted when the practice was reported as a seance led to an immediate redirecting of Dr. Houston's career. However, the weight of Houston's accomplishments up to that time, and the reputation she had established, allowed her to survive this temporary setback.

Mystery School

In 1984, Houston began teaching a seminar based on the concept of the ancient Mystery Schools, specialized trainings available to seekers of knowledge and the advancement of spirituality. In Houston's modern day version, seekers experience teachings on many levels and participate in experiential processes designed with the authority of the years of Houston's research and expertise into human potentials.

Social Artistry

Through her work in cultures around the world, Houston developed methods to spark cultural awareness and pride and to use these forces to help rejuvenate cultures. Always working with an eye toward what the human and society could be, Houston developed the concept of approaching social developement and progress the way an artist approaches a work of art. This technique, Social Artistry, represents a new model for leadership. Houston, working through the United Nations Development Group, has been training leaders through this modality since 2003. Under the direction of Monica Sharma, then Director of Leadership and Capacity Development for the UN, Houston traveled to developing nations throughout the world bringing Social Artistry techniques to leadership groups. As of 2011, Social Artistry trainings and projects are ongoing in a number of countries and new leaders are being trained on a constant basis. This work is supported through The Jean Houston Foundation.

Publications

Books by Jean Houston (Partial List)

''Mystical Dogs: Animals as Guides to our inner Life'' Inner Ocean Publishing (2002) ISBN 1930722133

''Jump Time: Shaping Your Future in a World of Radical Change'' Sentient Publications (2nd Ed. 2004) ISBN 1591810183

''The Passion of Isis and Osiris: A Union of Two Souls'' Wellspring/Ballantine (1998) ISBN 0345424778

''A Mythic Life: Learning to LIve our Greater Story'' HarperSanFrancisco (1996) ISBN 0062502824

''Manual for the Peacemake: An Iroquois Legent to Heal Self'' (with Margaret Rubin) Quest Books (1995) ISBN 0835607097

''Public Like a Frog: Entering the Lives of three Great Americans'' Quest Books (1993) ASIN B0026SIU0G

''The Hero and the Goddess: The "Odyssey" as Mystery and Initiation'' Ballantine Books (1992) ISBN 0345365674

''Godseed: The Journey of Christ'' Quest Books (1988) ISBN 0835606775

''A Feminine Myth of Creation'' (with Diana Vandenberg, in Dutch) J.H. Gottmer (1988) ISBN 9025721184

''The Search for the Beloved: Journeys in Mythology and Sacred Psychology'' Tarcher (2nd Ed. 1997) ISBN 0874778719

''The Possible Human: A course in Extending Your Physical, Mental, and Creative Abilities'' Tarcher (2nd. Ed. 1997) ISBN 0874778727

''Life Force: The Psycho-Historical Recovery of the Self'' Quest Books (2nd. ed. 1993) ISBN 0835606872

Books with Robert Masters

''Mind Games'' Doubleday (1972) ISBN 0385286503

''Listening to the Body: The Psychophysical Way to Health and Awareness'' Delta (1979) ISBN 0385285779

''The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience'' Park Street Press (2000 edition) (1966) ISBN 0892818972

Film and television appearances

Dalai Lama Renaissance documentary.

Nightline Face-Off: Does God Have a Future?" ABC Nightline program March 2010. With Deepak Chopra, Sam Harris, and Michael Shermer.

References

External links

Houston's official website

Video of Jean Houston with the Dalai Lama during filming of the documentary "Dalai Lama Renaissance"

Jean Houston MP3 audio - from ''Shift in Action'', sponsored by Institute of Noetic Sciences

Jean Houston's article on Skeptics Dictionary

Category:1937 births Category:Living people Category:Transpersonal psychologists Category:New Thought writers Category:People associated with the Human Potential Movement

Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
Official name	City of Houston
Settlement type	City
Nickname	Space City (official), more. . .
Image seal	Seal of Houston, Texas.png
Pushpin map	USA2
Pushpin map caption	Location in the United States of America
Coordinates region	US-TX
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision type2	Counties
Subdivision name	United States of America
Subdivision name1	Texas
Subdivision name2	Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery
Government type	Mayor–council
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Annise Parker
Area magnitude	1 E8
Area total sq mi	601.3
Area total km2	1558
Area land sq mi	579.4
Area land km2	1,501
Area water sq mi	22.3
Area water km2	57.7
Population as of	2010 US Census
Population total	2099451(4th U.S.)
Population urban	3822509 (10th U.S.)
Population metro	5946800 (6th U.S.)
Population density sq mi	3,623
Population density km2	1,505
Population blank1 title	Demonym
Population blank1	Houstonian
Timezone	CST
Utc offset	-6
Timezone dst	CDT
Utc offset dst	-5
Area code	713, 281, 832
Elevation m	13
Elevation ft	43
Established title	Incorporated
Established date	June 5, 1837
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	48-35000
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	1380948
Website	houstontx.gov
Footnotes	}}

Houston () is the fourth-largest city in the United States of America, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the metropolitan area in the U.S. of nearly 6 million people.

Houston was founded in 1836 on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou. It was incorporated as a city on June 5, 1837, and named after then-President of the Republic of Texas—former General Sam Houston—who had commanded at the Battle of San Jacinto, which took place east of where the city was established. The burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in the city's population. In the mid-twentieth century, Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center—the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions—and NASA's Johnson Space Center, where the Mission Control Center is located.

Rated as a global city, Houston's economy has a broad industrial base in energy, manufacturing, aeronautics, and transportation. It is also leading in health care sectors and building oilfield equipment; only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters. The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled. The city has a population from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and a large and growing international community. It is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits, which attract more than 7 million visitors a year to the Museum District. Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District and offers year-round resident companies in all major performing arts.

History

In August 1836, two real estate entrepreneurs—Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen—from New York, purchased of land along Buffalo Bayou with the intent of founding a city. The Allen brothers decided to name the city after Sam Houston, the popular general at the Battle of San Jacinto, who was elected President of Texas in September 1836.

Houston was granted incorporation on June 5, 1837, with James S. Holman becoming its first mayor. In the same year, Houston became the county seat of Harrisburg County (now Harris County) and the temporary capital of the Republic of Texas. In 1840, the community established a chamber of commerce in part to promote shipping and waterborne business at the newly created port on Buffalo Bayou. By 1860, Houston had emerged as a commercial and railroad hub for the export of cotton. Railroad spurs from the Texas inland converged in Houston, where they met rail lines to the ports of Galveston and Beaumont. During the American Civil War, Houston served as a headquarters for General John Bankhead Magruder, who used the city as an organization point for the Battle of Galveston. After the Civil War, Houston businessmen initiated efforts to widen the city's extensive system of bayous so the city could accept more commerce between downtown and the nearby port of Galveston. By 1890, Houston was the railroad center of Texas.

In 1900, after Galveston was struck by a devastating hurricane, efforts to make Houston into a viable deepwater port were accelerated. The following year, oil discovered at the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont prompted the development of the Texas petroleum industry. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt approved a $1 million improvement project for the Houston Ship Channel. By 1910 the city's population had reached 78,800, almost doubling from a decade before. An integral part of the city were African Americans, who numbered 23,929 or nearly one-third of the residents. They were developing a strong professional class based then in the Fourth Ward.

President Woodrow Wilson opened the deepwater Port of Houston in 1914, seven years after digging began. By 1930, Houston had become Texas's most populous city and Harris the most populous county.

When World War II started, tonnage levels at the port decreased and shipping activities were suspended; however, the war did provide economic benefits for the city. Petrochemical refineries and manufacturing plants were constructed along the ship channel because of the demand for petroleum and synthetic rubber products during the war. Ellington Field, initially built during World War I, was revitalized as an advanced training center for bombardiers and navigators. The M.D. Anderson Foundation formed the Texas Medical Center in 1945. After the war, Houston's economy reverted to being primarily port-driven. In 1948, several unincorporated areas were annexed into the city limits, which more than doubled the city's size, and Houston proper began to spread across the region.

In 1950, the availability of air conditioning provided impetus for many companies to relocate to Houston resulting in an economic boom and producing a key shift in the city's economy toward the energy sector.

The increased production of the local shipbuilding industry during World War II spurred Houston's growth, as did the establishment in 1961 of NASA's "Manned Spacecraft Center" (renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1973), which created the city's aerospace industry. The Astrodome, nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World", opened in 1965 as the world's first indoor domed sports stadium.

During the late 1970s, Houston experienced a population boom as people from Rust Belt states moved to Texas in large numbers. The new residents came for the numerous employment opportunities in the petroleum industry, created as a result of the Arab Oil Embargo.

The population boom ended abruptly in the mid-1980s, as oil prices fell precipitously. The space industry also suffered in 1986 after the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated shortly after launch. The late 1980s saw a recession adversely affecting the city's economy.

Since the 1990s, as a result of the recession, Houston has made efforts to diversify its economy by focusing on aerospace and health care/biotechnology and by reducing its dependence on the petroleum industry. In 1997, Houstonians elected Lee P. Brown as the city's first African American mayor.

In June 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to of rain on parts of Houston, causing the worst flooding in the city's history; the storm cost billions of dollars in damage and killed 20 people in Texas. By December of that same year, Houston-based energy company Enron collapsed into the third-largest ever U.S. bankruptcy during an investigation surrounding fabricated partnerships that were allegedly used to hide debt and inflate profits.

In August 2005, Houston became a shelter to more than 150,000 people from New Orleans who evacuated from Hurricane Katrina. One month later, approximately 2.5 million Houston area residents evacuated when Hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast, leaving little damage to the Houston area. This was the largest urban evacuation in the history of the United States.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ; this comprises of land and of water. Most of Houston is located on the gulf coastal plain, and its vegetation is classified as temperate grassland and forest. Much of the city was built on forested land, marshes, swamp, or prairie, which are all still visible in surrounding areas. Flatness of the local terrain, when combined with urban sprawl, has made flooding a recurring problem for the city. Downtown stands about above sea level, and the highest point in far northwest Houston is about in elevation. The city once relied on groundwater for its needs, but land subsidence forced the city to turn to ground-level water sources such as Lake Houston and Lake Conroe.

Houston has four major bayous passing through the city. Buffalo Bayou runs through downtown and the Houston Ship Channel, and has three tributaries: White Oak Bayou, which runs through the Houston Heights community northwest of Downtown and then towards Downtown; Braes Bayou, which runs along the Texas Medical Center; and Sims Bayou, which runs through the south of Houston and downtown Houston. The ship channel continues past Galveston and then into the Gulf of Mexico.

Geology

Underpinning Houston's land surface are unconsolidated clays, clay shales, and poorly cemented sands up to several miles deep. The region's geology developed from river deposits formed from the erosion of the Rocky Mountains. These sediments consist of a series of sands and clays deposited on decaying organic matter, that over time, transformed into oil and natural gas. Beneath the layers of sediment is a water-deposited layer of halite, a rock salt. The porous layers were compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed upward, the salt dragged surrounding sediments into salt dome formations, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from the surrounding porous sands. The thick, rich, sometimes black, surface soil is suitable for rice farming in suburban outskirts where the city continues to grow.

The Houston area has over 150 active faults (estimated to be 300 active faults) with an aggregate length of up to , including the Long Point–Eureka Heights fault system which runs through the center of the city. There have been no significant historically recorded earthquakes in Houston, but researchers do not discount the possibility of such quakes occurring in the deeper past, nor in the future. Land in some communities southeast of Houston is sinking because water has been pumped out from the ground for many years. It may be associated with slip along faults; however, the slippage is slow and not considered an earthquake, where stationary faults must slip suddenly enough to create seismic waves. These faults also tend to move at a smooth rate in what is termed "fault creep", which further reduces the risk of an earthquake.

Climate

Houston's climate is classified as humid subtropical (''Cfa'' in Köppen climate classification system). While not necessarily part of "Tornado Alley" like much of the rest of Texas, Spring supercell thunderstorms do sometimes bring tornadoes to the area. Prevailing winds are from the south and southeast during most of the year, bringing heat across the continent from the deserts of Mexico and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

During the summer months, it is common for the temperature to reach over , with an average of 99 days per year above . However, the humidity results in a heat index higher than the actual temperature. Summer mornings average over 90 percent relative humidity and approximately 60 percent in the afternoon. Winds are often light in the summer and offer little relief, except near the immediate coast. To cope with the heat, people use air conditioning in nearly every vehicle and building in the city; in 1980 Houston was described as the "most air-conditioned place on earth". Scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms are common in the summer. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Houston was on September 4, 2000.

Winters in Houston are fairly temperate. The average high in January, the coldest month, is , while the average low is . Snowfall is generally rare. Recent snow events in Houston include a storm on December 24, 2004 when one inch (2.5 cm) fell and more recent snowfalls on December 10, 2008. However, more recently on December 4, 2009 an inch of snow fell in the city. This was the earliest snowfall ever recorded in Houston. In addition, it set another milestone marking the first time in recorded history that snowfall has occurred on two consecutive years, and marks the third accumulating snowfall occurring in the decade of 2000–2010. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Houston was on January 23, 1940. Houston receives a high amount of rainfall annually, averaging about 54 inches a year. These rains tend to cause floods over portions of the city.

Houston has excessive ozone levels and is ranked among the most ozone-polluted cities in the United States. Ground-level ozone, or smog, is Houston’s predominant air pollution problem, with the American Lung Association rating the metropolitan area's ozone level as the 8th worst in the United States in 2011. The industries located along the ship channel are a major cause of the city's air pollution.

Cityscape

Houston was incorporated in 1837 under the ward system of representation. The ward designation is the progenitor of the nine current-day Houston City Council districts. Locations in Houston are generally classified as either being inside or outside the Interstate 610 Loop. The inside encompasses the central business district and many residential neighborhoods that predate World War II. More recently, high-density residential areas have been developed within the loop. The city's outlying areas, suburbs and enclaves are located outside of the loop. Beltway 8 encircles the city another farther out.

Though Houston is the largest city in the United States without formal zoning regulations, it has developed similarly to other Sun Belt cities because the city's land use regulations and legal covenants have played a similar role. Regulations include mandatory lot size for single-family houses and requirements that parking be available to tenants and customers. Such restrictions have had mixed results. Though some have blamed the city's low density, urban sprawl, and lack of pedestrian-friendliness on these policies, the city's land use has also been credited with having significant affordable housing, sparing Houston the worst effects of the 2008 real estate crisis. The city issued 42,697 building permits in 2008 and was ranked first in the list of healthiest housing markets for 2009.

Voters rejected efforts to have separate residential and commercial land-use districts in 1948, 1962, and 1993. Consequently, rather than a single central business district as the center of the city's employment, multiple districts have grown throughout the city in addition to downtown which include Uptown, Texas Medical Center, Midtown, Greenway Plaza, Energy Corridor, Westchase, and Greenspoint.

Government and politics

The city of Houston has a strong mayoral form of municipal government. Houston is a home rule city and all municipal elections in the state of Texas are nonpartisan. The City's elected officials are the mayor, city controller and 14 members of the city council. The mayor of Houston is Annise Parker—a Democrat elected on a nonpartisan ballot who is serving her first term as of January 2010. As the result of a 1991 referendum in Houston, a mayor is elected for a two-year term, and can be elected to as many as three consecutive terms. The term limits were spearheaded by conservative political activist Clymer Wright.

The city council line-up of nine district based and five at-large positions was based on a U.S. Justice Department mandate which took effect in 1979. At-large council members represent the entire city. Under the current city charter, if the population in the city limits goes past 2.1 million residents, the current nine-member city council districts will be expanded with the addition of two city council districts. The City of Houston's population count since January 2011 is 600 shy of the 2.1 million and several redistricting maps have been proposed - a final map will be authorized in August 2011 along with a concurrent election of two new city councilmembers in the proposed Districts J and K. The two new council districts drawn up will encompass minority voters in both African-American and Hispanic voting blocs.

The city controller is elected independently of the mayor and council. The controller's duties are to certify available funds prior to committing such funds and processing disbursements. The city's fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. Ronald Green is the city controller, serving his first term as of January 2010.

Houston is considered to be a politically divided city whose balance of power often sways between Republicans and Democrats. Much of the city's wealthier areas vote Republican, while the city's middle class, working class, and minority areas vote Democratic. According to the 2005 Houston Area Survey, 68 percent of non-Hispanic whites in Harris County are declared or favor Republicans while 89 percent of non-Hispanic blacks in the area are declared or favor Democrats. About 62 percent Hispanics (of any race) in the area are declared or favor Democrats. The city has often been known to be the most politically diverse city in Texas, a state known for being generally conservative. |} Houston is recognized worldwide for its energy industry—particularly for oil and natural gas—as well as for biomedical research and aeronautics. Renewable energy sources—wind and solar—are also growing economic bases in Houston. The ship channel is also a large part of Houston's economic base. Because of these strengths, Houston is designated as a global city by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network and by global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney.

The Houston area is a leading center for building oilfield equipment. Much of Houston's success as a petrochemical complex is due to its busy man-made ship channel, the Port of Houston. The port ranks first in the United States in international commerce, and is the tenth-largest port in the world. Unlike most places, high oil and gasoline prices are beneficial for Houston's economy as many of its residents are employed in the energy industry.

The Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown MSA's gross area product (GAP) in 2008 was $440.4 billion. Only 21 countries other than the United States have a gross domestic product exceeding Houston's regional gross area product. Mining, which in Houston consists almost entirely of exploration and production of oil and gas, accounts for 26.3% of Houston's GAP, up sharply in response to high energy prices and a decreased worldwide surplus of oil production capacity; followed by engineering services, health services, and manufacturing.

The University of Houston System's annual impact on the Houston-area's economy equates to that of a major corporation: $1.1 billion in new funds attracted annually to the Houston area, $3.13 billion in total economic benefit, and 24,000 local jobs generated. This is in addition to the 12,500 new graduates the UH System produces every year who enter the workforce in Houston and throughout Texas. These degree-holders tend to stay in Houston. After five years, 80.5 percent of graduates are still living and working in the region.

In 2006, the Houston metropolitan area ranked first in Texas and third in the U.S. within the Category of "Best Places for Business and Careers" by ''Forbes'' magazine. Foreign governments have established 89 consular offices in metropolitan Houston. Forty foreign governments maintain trade and commercial offices here and 23 active foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations. Twenty-five foreign banks representing 13 nations operate in Houston, providing financial assistance to the international community.

In 2008, Houston received top ranking on Kiplinger's Personal Finance ''Best Cities of 2008'' list which ranks cities on their local economy, employment opportunities, reasonable living costs and quality of life. The city ranked fourth for highest increase in the local technological innovation over the preceding 15 years, according to ''Forbes'' magazine. In the same year, the city ranked second on the annual Fortune 500 list of company headquarters, ranked first for ''Forbes'' ''Best Cities for College Graduates'', and ranked first on Forbes list of ''Best Cities to Buy a Home''. In 2010, the city was rated the best city for shopping, according to Forbes.

Demographics

Houston is a multicultural city, in part because of its many academic institutions and strong industries as well as being a major port city. Over 90 languages are spoken in the city. The city has among the youngest populations in the nation, partly due to an influx of immigrants into Texas. An estimated 400,000 illegal aliens reside in the Houston area.

According to the 2010 Census, Whites made up 50.5% of Houston's population, of which 25.6% were non-Hispanic whites. Blacks or African Americans made up 23.7% of Houston's population. American Indians made up 0.7% of Houston's population. Asians made up 6.0% of Houston's population (1.7% Vietnamese, 1.3% Chinese, 1.3% Indian, 0.4% Pakistani, 0.4% Filipino, 0.3% Korean, 0.1% Japanese), while Pacific Islanders made up 0.1%. Individuals from some other race made up 15.2% of the city's population, of which 0.2% were non-Hispanic. Individuals from two or more races made up 3.3% of the city's population. People of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 43.8% of Houston's population; 32.1% of Houston is Mexican, 3.6% Salvadoran, 1.6% Honduran, 1.2% Guatemalan, 0.5% Colombian, 0.4% Puerto Rican, 0.4% Cuban, 0.2% Nicaraguan, 0.2% Venezuelan, and 0.2% Peruvian.

As of the 2000 Census, there were 1,953,631 people and the population density was 3,371.7 people per square mile (1,301.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.3% White, 25.3% African American, 5.3% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 16.5% from some other race, and 3.1% from two or more races. In addition, Hispanics and Latinos made up 37.4% of Houston's population while non-Hispanic whites made up 30.8%.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,616, and the median income for a family was $40,443. Males had a median income of $32,084 versus $27,371 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,101. Nineteen percent of the population and 16 percent of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 26.1 percent of those under the age of 18 and 14.3 percent of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Culture

Houston is a diverse city with a large and growing international community. The metropolitan area is home to an estimated 1.1 million (21.4 percent) residents who were born outside the United States, with nearly two-thirds of the area's foreign-born population from south of the United States–Mexico border. Additionally, more than one in five foreign-born residents are from Asia. The city is home to the nation’s third largest concentration of consular offices, representing 86 countries.

Many annual events celebrate the diverse cultures of Houston. The largest and longest running is the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, held over 20 days from late February to early March, which happens to be the largest annual Livestock Show and Rodeo anywhere in the world. Another large celebration is the annual night-time Houston Pride Parade, held at the end of June. Other annual events include the Houston Greek Festival, Art Car Parade, the Houston Auto Show, the Houston International Festival, and the Bayou City Art Festival, which is considered to be one of the top five art festivals in the United States.

Houston received the official nickname of "Space City" in 1967 because it is the location of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Other nicknames often used by locals include "Magnolia City," and "H-Town."

Arts and theatre

The Houston Theater District, located downtown, is home to nine major performing arts organizations and six performance halls. It is the second-largest concentration of theater seats in a downtown area in the United States. Houston is one of few United States cities with permanent, professional, resident companies in all major performing arts disciplines: opera (Houston Grand Opera), ballet (Houston Ballet), music (Houston Symphony Orchestra), and theater (The Alley Theatre). Houston is also home to folk artists, art groups and various small progressive arts organizations. Houston attracts many touring Broadway acts, concerts, shows, and exhibitions for a variety of interests. Facilities in the Theater District include the Jones Hall—home of the Houston Symphony Orchestra and Society for the Performing Arts—and the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.

The Museum District's cultural institutions and exhibits attract more than 7 million visitors a year. Notable facilities the include The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, the Station Museum of Contemporary Art, Holocaust Museum Houston, and the Houston Zoo. Located near the Museum District are The Menil Collection, Rothko Chapel, and the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum.

Bayou Bend is a facility of the Museum of Fine Arts that houses one of America's best collections of decorative art, paintings and furniture. Bayou Bend is the former home of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg.

Venues across Houston regularly host local and touring rock, blues, country, dubstep, and Tejano musical acts. While Houston has never been a widely renowned for its music scene, Houston hip-hop has become a significant, independent music scene, influencing some larger Southern hip hop communities.

Tourism and recreation

The Theater District is a 17-block area in the center of downtown Houston that is home to the Bayou Place entertainment complex, restaurants, movies, plazas, and parks. Bayou Place is a large multilevel building containing full-service restaurants, bars, live music, billiards, and art house films. The Houston Verizon Wireless Theater stages live concerts, stage plays, and stand-up comedy.

Space Center Houston is the official visitors’ center of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. The Space Center has many interactive exhibits including moon rocks, a shuttle simulator, and presentations about the history of NASA's manned space flight program. Other tourist attractions include the Galleria (Texas's largest shopping mall located in the Uptown District), Old Market Square, the Downtown Aquarium, and Sam Houston Race Park. SplashTown Waterpark Houston is a water park located north of Houston. Earth Quest Adventures is a theme park planned to open in 2013/2014.

Houston is home to 337 parks including Hermann Park, Terry Hershey Park, Lake Houston Park, Memorial Park, Tranquility Park, Sesquicentennial Park, Discovery Green, and Sam Houston Park. Within Hermann Park are the Houston Zoo and the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Sam Houston Park contains restored and reconstructed homes which were originally built between 1823 and 1905.

Of the 10 most populous U.S. cities, Houston has the most total area of parks and green space, The city also has over 200 additional green spaces—totaling over that are managed by the city—including the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. The Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark is a public skatepark owned and operated by the city of Houston, and is one of the largest skateparks in Texas consisting of 30,000 (2,800 m2) square foot in-ground facility. The Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park—located in the Uptown District of the city—serves as a popular tourist attraction, weddings, and various celebrations.

Media

The Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area is served by a public television station and two public radio stations. KUHT (''HoustonPBS'') is a PBS member station and is the first public television station in the United States. Houston Public Radio is listener-funded and comprises two NPR member stations: KUHF (''KUHF News'') and KUHA (''Classical 91.7''). KUHF is news/talk radio and KUHA is a classical music station. The University of Houston System owns and holds broadcasting licenses to KUHT, KUHF, and KUHA. The stations broadcast from the Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting, located on the campus of the University of Houston.

Houston is served by the ''Houston Chronicle'', its only major daily newspaper with wide distribution. The Hearst Corporation, which owns and operates the ''Houston Chronicle'', bought the assets of the ''Houston Post''—its long-time rival and main competition—when ''Houston Post'' ceased operations in 1995. The ''Houston Post'' was owned by the family of former Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby of Houston. The only other major publication to serve the city is the ''Houston Press''—a free alternative weekly with a weekly readership of more than 300,000.

Education

Seventeen school districts exist within the city of Houston. The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the seventh-largest school district in the United States. HISD has 112 campuses that serve as magnet or vanguard schools—specializing in such disciplines as health professions, visual and performing arts, and the sciences. There are also many charter schools that are run separately from school districts. In addition, some public school districts also have their own charter schools.

The Houston area encompasses more than 300 private schools, many of which are accredited by Texas Private School Accreditation Commission recognized agencies. The Houston Area Independent Schools offer education from a variety of different religious as well as secular viewpoints. The Houston area Catholic schools are operated by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Colleges and universities

Four distinct state universities are located in Houston. The University of Houston is a nationally recognized research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. The institution ranks among the Top 50 American Research Universities. The university in Texas, UH has over 38,750 students on its 667 acre campus in southeast Houston. The University of Houston–Clear Lake and the University of Houston–Downtown are universities; they are not branch campuses of the University of Houston. Located in the historic community of Third Ward is Texas Southern University—one of the largest historically black colleges and universities in the United States.

Several private institutions of higher learning—ranging from liberal arts colleges to a nationally recognized research university—are located within the city. Rice University is one of the leading teaching and research universities of the United States and ranked the nation's 17^th best overall university by ''U.S. News & World Report''.

Three community college districts exist with campuses in and around Houston. The Houston Community College System serves most of Houston. The northwestern through northeastern parts of the city are served by various campuses of the Lone Star College System, while the southeastern portion of Houston is served by San Jacinto College. The Houston Community College and Lone Star College systems are within the 10 largest institutions of higher learning in the United States.

Healthcare and medicine

Houston is the seat of the internationally renowned Texas Medical Center, which contains the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions. All 47 member institutions of the Texas Medical Center are non-profit organizations. They provide patient and preventive care, research, education, and local, national, and international community well-being.

Employing more than 73,600 people, institutions at the medical center include 13 hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy, and virtually all health-related careers. It is where one of the first—and still the largest—air emergency service, Life Flight, was created, and a very successful inter-institutional transplant program was developed. More heart surgeries are performed at the Texas Medical Center than anywhere else in the world.

Some of the academic and research health institutions at the center include MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, UT Health Science Center, Memorial Hermann Hospital, The Methodist Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and University of Houston College of Pharmacy.

The Baylor College of Medicine has annually been considered within the top ten medical schools in the nation; likewise, the MD Anderson Cancer Center has consistently ranked as one of the top two U.S. hospitals specializing in cancer care by ''U.S. News & World Report'' since 1990. The Menninger Clinic, a renowned psychiatric treatment center, is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine and The Methodist Hospital System. With hospital locations nationwide and headquarters in Houston, the Triumph Healthcare hospital system is the third largest long term acute care provider nationally.

Transportation

Highways

The predominant form of transportation in Houston is the automobile with 71.7 percent of residents driving alone to work This is facilitated through Houston's freeway system, comprising of freeways and expressways in a ten-county metropolitan area. However, the Texas Transportation Institute's annual Urban Mobility Report found that Houston had the fourth-worst congestion in the country with commuters spending an average of 58 hours in traffic in 2010.

Houston's highway system has a hub-and-spoke freeway structure serviced by multiple loops. The innermost loop is Interstate 610, which encircles downtown, the medical center, and many core neighborhoods with around a diameter. Beltway 8 and its freeway core, the Sam Houston Tollway, form the middle loop at a diameter of roughly . A proposed highway project, State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway), would form a third loop outside of Houston. As of 2010, only two out of eleven segments of State Highway 99 have been completed. Houston is located along the route of the proposed Interstate 69 NAFTA superhighway that would link Canada, the U.S. industrial Midwest, Texas, and Mexico. Other spoke freeways either planned or under construction include the Fort Bend Parkway, Hardy Toll Road, Crosby Freeway, and the future Alvin Freeway.

Houston's freeway system is monitored by Houston TranStar—a partnership of four government agencies that are responsible for providing transportation and emergency management services to the region. Houston TranStar was the first center in the nation to combine transportation and emergency management centers, and the first to bring four agencies (Texas Department of Transportation, Harris County, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, and the City of Houston) together to share their resources.

Mass transit

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) provides public transportation in the form of buses, light rail, and lift vans. METRO's various forms of public transportation still do not connect many of the suburbs to the greater city.

METRO began light rail service on January 1, 2004 with the inaugural track ("Red Line") running about from the University of (UHD), which traverses through the Texas Medical Center and terminates at Reliant Park. METRO is currently in the design phase of a 10-year expansion plan that will add five more lines to the existing system.

Amtrak, the national rail passenger system, provides service to Houston via the (Los Angeles–New Orleans), which stops at a train station on the north side of the downtown area. The station saw 14,891 boardings and alightings in fiscal year 2008.

Airports

Houston is served by three airports, two of which are commercial that served 52 million passengers in 2007 and managed by the Houston Airport System. The Federal Aviation Administration and the state of Texas selected the "Houston Airport System as Airport of the Year" for 2005, largely because of its multi-year, $3.1 billion airport improvement program for both major airports in Houston.

The primary city airport is George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), the sixth-busiest in the United States for total passengers, and fourteenth-busiest worldwide. Bush Intercontinental currently ranks third in the United States for non-stop domestic and international service with 182 destinations. In 2006, the United States Department of Transportation named George Bush Intercontinental Airport the fastest-growing of the top ten airports in the United States. The Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center stands on the George Bush Intercontinental Airport grounds.

Houston was the headquarters of Continental Airlines until its 2010 merger with United Airlines with headquarters in Chicago; regulatory approval for the merger was granted in October of that year. Bush Intercontinental will become United Airline's largest hub. The airline will retain a significant operational presence in Houston while offering more than 700 daily departures from the city. In early 2007, Bush Intercontinental Airport was named a model "port of entry" for international travelers by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The second-largest commercial airport is William P. Hobby Airport (named Houston International Airport until 1967) which operates primarily small to medium-haul domestic flights. Houston's aviation history is showcased in the 1940 Air Terminal Museum located in the old terminal building on the west side of the airport. Hobby Airport has been recognized with two awards for being one of the top five performing airports in the world and for customer service by Airports Council International.

Houston's third municipal airport is Ellington Airport (a former U.S. Air Force base) used by military, government, NASA, and general aviation sectors.

Walkability

A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Houston the 23rd most walkable of fifty largest cities in the United States.

Architecture

Houston has the third tallest skyline in North America and one of the top 10 in the world. A seven-mile (11 km) system of tunnels and skywalks link downtown buildings containing shops and restaurants, enabling pedestrians to avoid summer heat and rain while walking between buildings.

In the 1960s, Downtown Houston consisted of a collection of mid-rise office structures. Downtown was on the threshold of an energy industry led boom in 1970. A succession of skyscrapers were built throughout the 1970s—many by real estate developer Gerald D. Hines—culminating with Houston's tallest skyscraper, the 75-floor, -tall JPMorgan Chase Tower (formerly the Texas Commerce Tower), completed in 1982. It is the tallest structure in Texas, 10th tallest building in the United States and the 30th tallest skyscraper in the world, based on height to roof. In 1983, the 71-floor, -tall Wells Fargo Plaza (formerly Allied Bank Plaza) was completed, becoming the second-tallest building in Houston and Texas. Based on height to roof, it is the 13th tallest in the United States and the 36th tallest in the world. As of 2007, downtown Houston had over 43 million square feet (4,000,000 m²) of office space.

Centered on Post Oak Boulevard and Westheimer Road, the Uptown District boomed during the 1970s and early 1980s when a collection of mid-rise office buildings, hotels, and retail developments appeared along Interstate 610 west. Uptown became one of the most prominent instances of an edge city. The tallest building in Uptown is the 64-floor, -tall, Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed landmark Williams Tower (known as the Transco Tower until 1999). At the time of construction, it was believed to the be the world's tallest skyscraper outside of a central business district. The Uptown District is also home to buildings designed by noted architects I. M. Pei, César Pelli, and Philip Johnson. In the late 1990s and early 2000s decade, there was a mini-boom of mid-rise and high-rise residential tower construction, with several over 30 stories tall. In 2002, Uptown had more than 23 million square feet (2,100,000 m²) of office space with 16 million square feet (1,500,000 m²) of Class A office space.

Sports

Houston has sports teams for every major professional league, except the National Hockey League.

Minute Maid Park (home of the Astros) and Toyota Center (home of the Rockets and Aeros), are located in Downtown. Houston has the NFL's first retractable-roof stadium, Reliant Stadium (home of the Texans). In addition, Reliant Astrodome, the first domed stadium in the world. Other sports facilities include Robertson Stadium (home of the Houston Cougars football team and the Dynamo), Hofheinz Pavilion (Houston Cougars basketball), Rice Stadium (Rice Owls football), and Reliant Arena. A soccer-specific stadium for the Dynamo—to be located just east of Downtown—is expected to be finished by 2012.

The city has hosted several major professional and college sporting events, including the annual Shell Houston Open golf tournament. Houston hosts the annual NCAA College Baseball Minute Maid Classic every February and NCAA football's Texas Bowl in December.

Crime

Houston's murder rate ranked 46th of U.S. cities with a population over 250,000 in 2005 (per capita rate of 16.3 murders per 100,000 population). In 2010, the city's murder rate (per capita rate of 11.8 murders per 100,000 population) was ranked sixth among U.S. cities with a population of over 750,000 (behind New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and Los Angeles). according to the FBI.

Murders fell by 37 percent in Jan-Jun 2011 compared with the same period in 2010. Houston's total crime rate including violent and nonviolent crimes decreased by 11 percent.

Houston—due to its size and proximity to major illegal drug exporting nations—is a significant hub for trafficking of cocaine, marijuana, heroin, MDMA, and methamphetamine. In the early 1970s, Houston, Pasadena and several coastal towns were the site of the '' 'Houston Mass Murders' '' which at the time were the deadliest case of serial killing in American history.

Further reading

Houston, New York Has a Problem, ''City Journal,'' Summer 2008

174 Years of Historic Houston ''Houstonhistory.com''. 2007. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.

''A thumb-nail history of the city of Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1836 to the year 1912'', published 1912, hosted by the Portal to Texas History, republished 2007 by Copano Bay Press.

''True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young.'', published 1913, hosted by the Portal to Texas History, republished 2007 by Copano Bay Press.

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References

External links

City of Houston official website

Greater Houston Partnership

174 Years of Historic Houston

Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau

Greater Houston Transportation and Emergency Management Center

Houston Public Library official website

Houston Downtown District

Uptown Houston District

Midtown Houston District

Houston Airport System

Greater Houston Preservation Alliance

Houston Wilderness Organization

Historical photos of Houston at the University of Houston Digital Library

Category:Cities in Texas Category:Populated places established in 1836 Category:Populated coastal places in Texas Category:Port settlements in the United States

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Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
name	Deepak Chopra
birth place	New Delhi, India
birth date	October 22, 1946
occupation	physician, public speaker, writer
spouse	Rita Chopra
parents	Dr. (Col) K. L. Chopra, Pushpa Chopra
children	Mallika Chopra and Gotham Chopra
nationality	American (born Indian)
website	deepakchopra.com }}

Deepak Chopra (; born October 22, 1946) is a Indian medical doctor, public speaker, and writer on subjects such as spirituality, Ayurveda and mind-body medicine. Chopra began his career as an endocrinologist and later shifted his focus to alternative medicine. Chopra now runs his own medical center, with a focus on mind-body connections. He is also a lecturer at the Update in Internal Medicine event, sponsored by Harvard Medical School's Department of Continuing Education and the Department of Medicine.

Chopra was a top assistant to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi before launching his own career in the late 1980s by publishing self-help books on New Age spirituality and alternative medicine.

A friend of Michael Jackson for 20 years, Chopra came to widespread public attention in July 2009 when he criticized the "cult of drug-pushing doctors, with their co-dependent relationships with addicted celebrities," saying he hoped Jackson's death, attributed to an overdose of a prescription drug, would be a call to action.

Family history

Chopra was born in New Delhi, India. His father, Krishan Chopra, M.D. (1919–2001) was a prominent Indian cardiologist. He was head of the department of medicine and cardiology at Mool Chand Khairati Ram Hospital, New Delhi, for over 25 years, and a lieutenant in the British army. His paternal grandfather was a sergeant in the British Army, who sought treatment for his heart condition from Ayurveda when it did not improve through medical means.

Chopra's younger brother, Sanjiv, is a Professor of Medicine and Faculty Dean for Continuing Medical Education at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Early life and education

As a young man, Chopra's desire was to become an actor or journalist but he reports that he was inspired by a character in ''Arrowsmith'' by Sinclair Lewis and became a doctor.

Chopra completed his primary education at St. Columba's School in New Delhi and graduated from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). After immigrating to the US in 1968, Chopra began his clinical internship and residency training at Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield, New Jersey. He had residency terms at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts, and at the University of Virginia Hospital.

He earned his license to practice medicine in the state of Massachusetts in 1973 and received a California medical license in 2004. Chopra is board-certified in internal medicine and specialized in endocrinology. He is also a member of the American Medical Association (AMA), a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

Career

Chopra taught at the Tufts University and Boston University Schools of Medicine. He became Chief of Staff at the New England Memorial Hospital in Stoneham, Massachusetts, later known as Boston Regional Medical Center, before establishing a private practice.

After reading about the Transcendental Meditation technique, Chopra and his wife learned the practice in 1981, and two months later they went on to learn the advanced TM-Sidhi program. Sources also describe a 1981 meeting between Chopra and Ayurvedic physician Brihaspati Dev Triguna in Delhi, India, in which Triguna advised Chopra to learn the TM technique.

In 1985, Chopra met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who invited him to study Ayurveda. In that same year, Chopra left his position at the New England Memorial Hospital and became the founding president of the American Association of Ayurvedic Medicine, and was later named medical director of the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center for Stress Management and Behavioral Medicine. He was initially the sole stockholder of Maharishi Ayurveda Products International, but divested after three months. He has been called the TM movement's "poster boy" and "its leading Ayurvedic physician". In 1989, the Maharishi awarded him with the title "Dhanvantari (Lord of Immortality), the keeper of perfect health for the world".

In its May 22/29, 1991 issue, the ''Journal of the American Medical Association'' (''JAMA'') published an article coauthored by Chopra: ''Letter from New Delhi: Maharishi Ayur-Veda: Modern Insights Into Ancient Medicine''. ''JAMA'' editors claimed that Chopra and his co-authors had financial interests in "Maharishi Vedic Medicine" products and services. In the August 14, 1991 edition of ''JAMA'', the editors published a financial disclosure correction and followed up on October 2, 1991 with a six-page Medical News and Perspectives exposé. An article discussing this chain of events was authored by Andrew A. Skolnick in the Newsletter of the National Association of Science Writers. A 1992 defamation lawsuit brought against the article's author and the editor of JAMA was dismissed in 1993. Media reports published four years later saying that there had been a monetary settlement of the case were later withdrawn as untrue.

By 1992, Chopra was serving on The National Institutes of Health Ad Hoc Panel on Alternative Medicine. In 1993, Chopra became executive director of the Sharp Institute for Human Potential and Mind–Body Medicine with a $30,000 grant from the Office of Alternative Medicine in the National Institutes to study Ayurvedic medicine. Chopra's institute also maintained affiliation with Sharp Healthcare, in San Diego. That same year Chopra moved with his family to Southern California where he lives with his wife and near his two adult children, Gotham and Mallika.

Chopra left the Transcendental Meditation movement in January 1994. According to his own account, Chopra was accused by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of attempting to compete with the Maharishi's position as guru. Todd Carroll said Chopra left the TM organization when it “became too stressful” and was a “hindrance to his success”.

In 1995, Chopra was the recipient of the Toastmasters "International Top Five Outstanding Speakers" award. In 1997 Chopra was given the Golden Gavel Award by Toastmasters.

He was presented the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic awarded by the Pio Manzu International Scientific Committee. In the citation committee chairman and former Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev referred to Chopra as ‘one of the most lucid and inspired philosophers of our time’. Esquire Magazine designated him as one of the "top ten motivational speakers in the country".

In 1996, Chopra parted company with the Sharp Institute. That same year, Chopra and neurologist David Simon, M.D., founded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, which incorporated Ayurveda in its regimen, and was located in La Jolla, California. The University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine and American Medical Association have granted continuing medical education credits for some programs offered to physicians at the Chopra Center. In 2002, Chopra and Simon relocated the Chopra Center to the grounds of La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California,continuing to offer mind-body wellness programs, medical consultations, and instruction in meditation, yoga, and Ayurveda.

Chopra and Simon also revived an ancient mantra-based meditation practice, traveling to India to study the origins of this technique, known as Primordial Sound Meditation. This form of meditation is now taught at the Chopra Center and by certified instructors who receive their training through Chopra Center University.

Since 2000 Chopra has sat as an advisor for the National Ayurvedic Medical Association.

In 2005 Chopra was made a Senior Scientist at The Gallup Organization. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Executive Programs at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Chopra has a Sirius XM weekly radio show where he interviews prominent scientists and leaders in the development of human potential on Sirius//XM Stars Radio show Wellness Radio He is also a weekly columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, a regular contributor to the Washington Post's ''On Faith section'' and a prolific contributor to the Huffington Post.

Dr. Chopra is also a monthly contributor for the Times of India Speaking Tree.

In 2006, Chopra launched Virgin Comics LLC with his son Gotham Chopra and entrepreneur Richard Branson. The company's purpose is to "spread peace and awareness through comics and trading cards that display traditional Kabalistic characters and stories". Chopra was awarded the 2006 Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations.

He was the recipient in 2009 of the Oceana Award. Also in 2009, Chopra established the Chopra Foundation with a mission to advance the cause of mind/body spiritual healing, education, and research through fundraising for selected projects. In 2010 the Chopra Foundation sponsored the first Sages and Scientists Symposium with prominent scientists philosophers and artists from around the world.

In 2010, Chopra received the Cinequest Life of a Maverick Award for his collaborations with filmmakers Shekhar Kapur and his son, Gotham Chopra. The award goes to "inspirational individuals who touch the world of film while their greater lives exemplify the Maverick spirit".

Chopra is heavily featured in UniGlobe Entertainment's cancer docudrama titled ''1 a Minute'' talking about mind, body, spirit and the mystery of life and death. The documentary is directed by actress Namrata Singh Gujral and also features cancer survivors Olivia Newton-John, Diahann Carroll, Melissa Etheridge, Mumtaz (actress) and Jaclyn Smith.

He received the 2010 Humanitarian Starlite Award "for his global force of human empowerment, well-being and for bringing light to the world." Chopra is the recipient of the 2010 GOI Peace Award.

In September 2010, Chopra published a criticism of Stephen Hawking's book ''The Grand Design''.

In February 2011 the Chopra Foundation sponsored the second annual Sages and Scientists Symposium with eminent physicists, geneticists and social scientists from around the world. .

In conjunction with Menas Kafatos, Ph.D and Rudolph E.Tanzi,Ph.D. Chopra published a paper in the Journal of Cosmology Vol. 14 April-May 2011, titled "How Consciousness Becomes the Physical Universe."

In June 2011 Deepak Chopra wrote an op-ed for the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics titled "Medicine’s Great Divide—The View from the Alternative Side"

In the summer of 2011 Deepak Chopra was ranked #1 influencer of all Indians in the world, both resident and non-resident.

Criticism

According to a 2008 article in ''Time'' magazine, Chopra is “a magnet for criticism” primarily from those involved in science and medicine. Some critics say that Chopra creates a false sense of hope in sick individuals which may keep them away from effective medical care. The ''Time'' article summarized Chopra's reception and popularity thus: "Of all the Asian gurus…, Chopra has arguably been the most successful at erasing apparent differences between East and West by packaging Eastern mystique in credible Western garb. …[H]is quest to construct a pleasing and seamless model of the universe tends to jump to easy conclusions and to spackle over problematic gaps and inconsistencies in the ideas he presents — is obvious to all but his most starry-eyed fans. But grousing about such crimes — as many do — does little to explain his enormous popularity. Chopra is as rich as he is today not because he has been dishonest with anyone, but because his basic message — that love, health and happiness are possible, that mystery is real and that the universe is ultimately a friendly and benevolent place where orthodoxies old and new can meet and make peace with one another — is one that he wants to believe in just as sincerely as his readers do."

Chopra was sued for plagiarism by Robert Sapolsky for using a stress endocrine chart without proper attribution, after the publication of Chopra’s book, ''Ageless Body, Timeless Mind''. An out of court settlement resulted in Chopra attributing material that was researched by Sapolsky. Chopra acknowledges that his thought has been inspired by Jiddu Krishnamurti and others.

In 1996, the ''Weekly Standard'' of London published an article which accused Chopra of “plagiarism and soliciting a prostitute”; however, Chopra sued and the paper withdrew its statements and published an apology.

Chopra has been criticized for his frequent references to the relationship of quantum mechanics to healing processes, a connection that has drawn skepticism from some traditional physicists who say it can be considered as contributing to the general confusion in the popular press regarding quantum measurement, decoherence and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. In 1998, Chopra was awarded the satirical Ig Nobel Prize in physics for "his unique interpretation of quantum physics as it applies to life, liberty, and the pursuit of economic happiness". According to the book, ''Skeptics Dictionary'', Chopra's "mind-body claims get even murkier as he tries to connect Ayurveda with quantum physics.” Chopra also participated in the Channel 4 (UK) documentary ''The Enemies of Reason'', where, when interviewed by scientist Richard Dawkins, he admitted that the term "quantum theory" was being used as a metaphor and that it has little to do with the actual quantum theory in physics.

In August 2005, Chopra wrote a series of articles on the creation-evolution controversy and Intelligent design which were criticized by science writer Michael Shermer, founder of The Skeptics Society.

In March 2010, Chopra and Jean Houston debated Sam Harris and Michael Shermer at Caltech on the question "Does God Have a Future?" Shermer and Harris criticized Chopra's use of scientific terminology to expound unrelated spiritual concepts. Harris has said that Chopra is "the very definition of what we mean by pseudoscience".

In April 2010, Hindu American Foundation co-founder Aseem Shukla, on a ''Washington Post''-sponsored blog on faith and religion, criticized Chopra for suggesting that yoga did not have origins in Hinduism but merely is an Indian spiritual tradition which predated Hinduism. Later on, Chopra tried to explain yoga as rooted in "consciousness alone" which is a universal, non-sectarian eternal wisdom of life expounded by Vedic rishis long before historic Hinduism ever arose. He further accused Aseem Shukla of having a "fundamentalist agenda". Dr. Shukla in a rejoinder titled "Dr. Chopra: Honor thy heritage" termed Deepak Chopra as an exponent of the art of "How to Deconstruct, Repackage and Sell Hindu Philosophy Without Calling it Hindu!" and to the allegation of "fundamentalist" he responded by accusing Dr. Chopra of raising the "bogey of communalism" in frustration to divert the argument.

Message

According to ''Business Week'', one of Chopra's main messages is that by ridding oneself of negative emotions and developing intuition by listening to signals from the body, health can be improved. According to Chopra, slowing down or reversing the aging of the mind through his methods can increase one's lifespan up to the age of 120 years. As a result of his writings and lectures in this area, he is thought by some to be "one of the pre-eminent leaders of the mind-body-spirit movement".

Publications

Chopra has written more than 65 books with 18 New York Times bestsellers. His books have been translated into 35 languages and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. His book, ''Peace Is the Way'' won the Quill Awards and ''The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of your Life'' received the Nautilus Award. FINS - Wall Street Journal, mentioned his book, “The Soul of Leadership”, as one of five best business books of 2011 to read for your career. Chopra is represented in the United States by the literary agency, Trident Media Group. His first book, ''Creating Health'', is credited with helping to create initial, international recognition for Chopra.

1987 ''Creating Health'' ISBN 0-395-75515-8

1988 ''Return of the Rishi'' ISBN 0-395-57420-X

1989 ''Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine'' ISBN 0-553-34869-8

1991 ''Unconditional Life: Mastering the Forces That Shape Personal Reality''

1991 ''Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide'' ISBN 0-517-58421-2

1993 ''Ageless Body, Timeless Mind : The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old'' ISBN 0-517-59257-6

1993 ''Creating Affluence: Wealth Consciousness in the Field of All Possibilities''ISBN 1-880032-42-2

1994 ''The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfilment of Your Dreams''

1995 ''The Way of the Wizard: Twenty Spiritual Lessons in Creating the Life You Want'' ISBN 0-517-70434-X

1995 ''The Return of Merlin: A Novel'' ISBN 0-449-91074-1

1995 ''Journey into Healing'' ISBN 1-4000-8069-X

1995 ''The Path to Love: Spiritual Strategies for Healing''

1996 ''Perfect Weight'' ISBN 0-517-88458-5

1996 ''Restful Sleep'' ISBN 0-517-88457-7

1996 ''Raid on the Inarticulate'' ISBN 1-882971-16-7

1997 ''The Path to Love: Renewing the Power of Spirit in Your Life'' ISBN 0-517-70622-9

1997 ''The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents: Guiding Your Children to Success and Fulfillment

1997 ''Perfect Digestion'' ISBN 0-609-80076-0

1998 ''Overcoming Addictions'' ISBN 0-609-80195-3

1998 ''The Love Poems of Rumi''ISBN 0-609-60243-8

1998 ''Healing the Heart'' ISBN 0-609-60035-4

1999 ''Everyday Immortality: A Concise Course in Spiritual Transformation'' ISBN 0-609-60484-8

1999 ''On the Shores of Eternity: Poems from Tagore on Immortality and Beyond'' ISBN 0-609-60564-X

1999 ''A Deepak Chopra Companion'' ISBN 0-609-80454-5

1999 ''Daughters of Joy''ISBN 0-451-20935-4

1999 ''Lords of Light: A Novel'' ISBN 0-312-96892-2

2000 ''The Angel is Near: A Novel'' ISBN 0-312-97024-2

2000 ''How to Know God : The Soul's Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries'' ISBN 0-609-60078-8

2001 ''The Deeper Wound: Recovering the Soul from Fear and Suffering, 100 Days of Healing''

2001 ''Grow Younger, Live Longer: 10 Steps to Reverse Aging'' ISBN 0-609-60079-6

2001 ''The Soul in Love: Classic Poems of Ecstasy and Exaltation'' ISBN 0-609-60648-4

2002 ''Manifesting Good Luck Cards: Growth and Enlightenment

2003 ''Golf for Enlightenment: The Seven Lessons for the Game of Life''

2003 ''The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence'' ISBN 0-609-60042-7

2003 ''Synchrodestiny: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence to Create Miracles'' ISBN 1-84413-221-8

2003 ''Manifesting Good Luck: Love and Relationships, 50 Card Deck

2003 ''The Chopra Center Cookbook'' ISBN 0-471-45404-4

2004 ''The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life'' ISBN 0-517-70624-5

2004 ''Fire in the Heart: A Spiritual Guide for Teens'' ISBN 0-689-86216-4

2005 ''Peace Is the Way : Bringing War and Violence to an End'' ISBN 0-307-23607-2

2005 ''The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga: A Practical Guide to Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit

2005 ''Magical Beginnings Enchanted lives: A Holistic Guide to Pregnancy'' ISBN 0-517-70220-7

2005 ''Teens Ask Deepak'' ISBN 0-689-86218-0

2006 ''Ask The Kabala: Oracle Cards/Kabala Guidebook'' ISBN 978-1-4019-1039-6

2006 ''Power Freedom and Grace: Living from the Source of Lasting Happiness'' ISBN 978-1-878424-81-5

2006 ''Life After Death: The Burden of Proof'' ISBN 0-307-34578-5

2006 ''Kama Sutra: Including the Seven Spiritual Laws of Love'' ISBN 978-1-85227-385-9

2007 ''Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment'' ISBN 978-0-06-087880-1

2007 ''Boundless Energy: The Complete Mind/Body Program for Overcoming Chronic Fatigue'' ISBN 0-609-80075-2

2007 ''Freedom From Addiction'' ISBN 0-7573-0578-4

2008 ''The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore'' ISBN 978-0-307-33831-0

2008 ''Why Is God Laughing? The Path to Joy and Spiritual Optimism''

2008 ''Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment'' ISBN 978-0-06-144873-7

2009 ''Reinventing The Body, Resurrecting The Soul''

2009 ''The Ultimate Happiness Prescription: 7 Keys to Joy and Enlightenment''

2009 ''Chopra Center Herbal Handbook'' ISBN 0-307-45233-6

2010 ''The Shadow Effect'' ISBN 0-06-196265-1

2010 ''Muhammad: A Story of the Last Prophet'' ISBN 978-0-061-78242-8

2010 ''The Soul of Leadership: Unlocking Your Potential for Greatness'' ISBN 978-0-307-40806-8

2011 ''The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes: Harnessing Our Power to Change the World'' with Gotham Chopra ISBN 978-0062059666

2011 ''The War of the Worldviews'' with Leonard Mlodinow ISBN 978-0-30-788688-0 (October 2011 publication date)

Music CDs/audio books

1986 ''Total Health: The Rediscovery of Ayurveda'' ASIN B-000-K06QY-4

1994 ''Journey Into Healing'' ISBN 0-679-44089-5

1994 ''Power Talk!:The Power of the Human Paradox'' with Anthony Robbins ISBN 1-55927-267-8

1996 ''Crescent Moon: Prose Poems of Rabindranath Tagore'' ISBN 1-878424-20-3

1998 ''Synchrodestiny'' ISBN 1-905953-04-6

1997 ''Transformation of Mind'': Deepak Chopra, Christopher Franke, ASIN: B000003KW4

1998 ''A Gift of Love: Love poems inspired by Rumi'' ASIN B-000-GRQX8-A

2000 ''All About God: A Dialogue Between Neale Donald Walsch and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-735-X

2000 ''Wisdom of the Sufi: A Dialogue Between Hidayat Inayat-Kahn and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-734-1

2000 ''The Spiritual Journey : A Dialogue Between Richard Moss, M.D., and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-739-2

2000 ''Spiritual Insights into the Genius of Leonardo da Vinci: A Dialogue Between Michael J. Gelb, M.D., and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-738-4

2000 ''The Art of Everyday Ecstasy: A Dialogue Between Margot Anand and Deepak Chopra '' ISBN 1-56170-737-6

2000 ''The Conscious Universe'' ISBN 1-56170-744-9

2000 ''Pathways to God: A Dialogue Between Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-736-8

2000 ''Unleash Your Potential'' with Marianne Williamson and Sarah Ban Breathnach ISBN 0-671-77180-9

2000 ''The Path to Enlightenment: Insights into Buddhism / A Dialogue Between Robert Thurman, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-732-5

2001 ''Healing the Planet: A Dialogue Between Marianne Williamson and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-743-0

2001 ''Self-Coaching Secrets for Success'' ISBN 1-56170-827-5

2001 ''Awakening the Goddesses Within: Deepak Chopra, M.D., Presents Agapi Stassinopoulos'' ISBN 1-56170-837-2

2001 ''Tell Me a Story: A Dialogue Between Lisa Suhay and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-874-7

2001 ''Sacred Sexuality: A Dialogue Between Felice Dunas and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-823-2

2001 ''Relationships As a Bridge to Divine Love : A Dialogue Between Barbara De Angelis, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-742-2

2001 ''Training the Mind, Healing the Body'' ASIN B-000-BGT8K-6

2001 ''Soul of Healing Meditations – A Simple Approach to Growing Younger'' ASIN B-000-05TZS-K

2001 ''The Higher Self'' ISBN 0-7435-0921-8

2001 ''The New Physics of Healing'' ISBN 1-56455-919-X

2001 ''Science And Soul: The Survival of Consciousness After Death, A Dialogue Between Gary Schwartz and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-822-4

2002 ''The Yoga of Love and Devotion'' with Shree Ma ISBN 1-56170-838-0

2002 ''Integrating The Masculine And Feminine In The Spiritual Traditions Of Judaism and Vedanta: A Dialogue Between Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-824-0

2002 ''Quantum Physics of Quantum Healing: A Dialogue with Amit Goswami, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-920-4

2002 ''The Evolving Human: A Dialogue Between Jean Houston, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopa'' ISBN 1-56170-916-6

2002 ''Rituals As a Path to the Divine: A Dialogue Between Stephen Huyler, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-841-0

2002 ''Healing Your Relationships : A Dialogue Between Kenny and Julia Loggins and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-840-2

2002 ''The Soul and Relationship: A Dialogue Between Shakti Gawain and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-56170-917-4

2002 ''Yoga as a Form of Meditation'' with Yogi Amrit Desai ISBN 1-56170-839-9

2002 ''A Gift of Love II: A Musical Valentine to Tagore'' ASIN B-000-06IZP-E

2003 ''Magical Mind, Magical Body'' ISBN 0-7435-3013-6

2003 ''Journey to the Boundless'' ISBN 0-7435-3016-0

2004 ''Chakra Balancing: Body, Mind, and Soul'' ASIN B-000-667GN-W

2004 ''Sacred Verses, Healing Sounds, Volumes I and II: The Bhagavad Gita, Hymns of the Rig Veda'' ISBN 1-878-42478-5

2004 ''The Ultimate Deepak Chopra Collection'' 20 CDs ASIN B-000-BGV45-I

2004 ''Whispers'' with Eckhart Tolle, Jack Canfield and Don Miguel Ruiz ISBN 1-559-61722-5

2005 ''The Power of Intuition'' ISBN 1-401-90622-2

2005 ''Living Beyond Miracles''with Wayne Dyer ISBN 1-878-42479-3

2005 ''The Cosmic Mind and Submanifest Order of Being'' ISBN 1-401-90450-5

2005 ''Living Without Limits'' ISBN 1-878-42496-3

2005 ''An Ancient Magical Prayer'' ISBN 1-401-90447-5

2006 ''Escaping the Prison of the Intellect'' ISBN 1-878-42456-4

2007 ''Creating Your World the Way You Really Want It To Be'' with Wayne Dyer ISBN 1-602-52748-2

2007 ''Meditations for Healing: A Dialogue Between Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D. and Deepak Chopra'' ISBN 1-561-70922-0

2008 ''Whispers of Spirit & Happiness'' with Don Miguel Ruiz ISBN 1-559-61945-7

2008 ''The Soul of Healing Affirmations A-Z Guide to Reprogramming the Software of the Soul'' ASIN B-001-2SAT7-S

2008 ''Grow Younger Live Longer'' Dave Stewart and Deepak Chopra ASIN: B0012GMXFQ

2009 ''The Soul Of Healing Meditations'' ASIN B-000-05TZS-K

2011 ''Stress Free with Deepak Chopra (Meditations) ASIN: B004JU157O

2011 ''The Secret of Healing: Meditations for Transformation and Higher Consciousness'' ASIN: B004K35UWG

Videos

1995 ''Seven Spiritual Laws of Success''

1995 ''The Way of the Wizard''

2003 ''God and Buddha - a dialog''

2004 ''Soul of Healing - Body, Mind, and Soul Vol. 1''

2008 ''The Love Guru''

2010 ''1 a Minute''

Other published work

2008 Introduction to Kim Feinberg's ''A Mother's Legacy'' Chopra co-authored ''Ask the Kabala'' with Mike 'Zappy' Zapolin and Alys Yablon, which is a set of 22 cards, each one representing a story or character from the Old Testament and a life lesson based on that story from a Kabalistic perspective. Chopra co-authored a blog in 2009 with Richard Barrett titled Can Values Save the Economy?

Journal of Cosmology Vol. 14 April-May 2011, "How Consciousness Becomes the Physical Universe." with Menas Kafatos, Ph.D and Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D.

Chopra is a co-author of 2011 Consciousness and the Universe: Quantum Physics, Evolution, Brain & Mind along with Roger Penrose, Stuart Hameroff, Henry Stapp

See also

Alternative medicine

Quantum mysticism

Monistic idealism

Spiritual Naturalism

References

Further reading

External links

Official Site

VYou

The Chopra Center for Wellbeing

Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:Indian emigrants to the United States Category:American writers of Indian descent Category:Indian doctors Category:Indian self-help writers Category:Indian spiritual writers Category:Indian motivational speakers Category:New Age writers Category:People in alternative medicine Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic Category:Spiritualists Category:Transcendental Meditation practitioners Category:Ayurvedacharyas Category:Ig Nobel Prize winners Category:American spiritual writers Category:People from New Delhi

bg:Дийпак Чопра de:Deepak Chopra es:Deepak Chopra fa:دیپاک چوپرا fr:Deepak Chopra ko:디팩 초프라 hi:दीपक चोपड़ा it:Deepak Chopra mr:दीपक चोप्रा nl:Deepak Chopra no:Deepak Chopra pl:Deepak Chopra pt:Deepak Chopra ru:Чопра, Дипак simple:Deepak Chopra fi:Deepak Chopra sv:Deepak Chopra ta:தீபக் சோப்ரா th:ดีพัค โชปรา

Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
Name	Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Birth date	May 01, 1881
Birth place	Orcines, France
Death date	April 10, 1955
Death place	New York, New York, USA
Nationality	France
Field	Paleontology, Philosophy, Cosmology,Evolutionary theory
Known for	''The Phenomenon of Man''
Religion	Roman Catholic
Footnotes	}}

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ (; May 1, 1881 – April 10, 1955) was a French philosopher and Jesuit priest who trained as a paleontologist and geologist and took part in the discovery of both Piltdown Man and Peking Man. Teilhard conceived the idea of the Omega Point and developed Vladimir Vernadsky's concept of Noosphere. Some of his ideas came into conflict with the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, and several of his books were censured.

Teilhard's primary book, ''The Phenomenon of Man'', set forth a sweeping account of the unfolding of the cosmos. He abandoned traditional interpretations of creation in the Book of Genesis in favor of a less strict interpretation. This displeased certain officials in the Roman Curia and in his own order who thought that it undermined the doctrine of original sin developed by Saint Augustine. Teilhard's position was opposed by his Church superiors, and some of his work was denied publication during his lifetime by the Roman Holy Office. The 1950 encyclical ''Humani generis'' condemned several of Teilhard's opinions, while leaving other questions open. More recently, Pope John Paul II indicated a positive attitude towards some of de Chardin's ideas. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI praised Teilhard's idea of the universe as a "living host" although the ecclesiastical warnings attached to his works remain.

Life

Early years

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was born in the château of Sarcenat at Orcines, close to Clermont-Ferrand, France on May 1, 1881. On the Teilhard side he is descended from an ancient family of magistrates from Auvergne originating in Murat, Cantal, and on the de Chardin side he is descended from a family which was ennobled under Louis XVIII. He was the fourth of eleven children. His father, Emmanuel Teilhard (1844–1932), an amateur naturalist, collected stones, insects and plants, and promoted the observation of nature in the household. Pierre Teilhard's spirituality was awakened by his mother, Berthe de Dompiere. When he was 12, he went to the Jesuit college of Mongré, in Villefranche-sur-Saône, where he completed baccalaureates of philosophy and mathematics. Then, in 1899, he entered the Jesuit novitiate at Aix-en-Provence where he began a philosophical, theological and spiritual career.

As of the summer 1901, the Waldeck-Rousseau laws, which submitted congregational associations' properties to state control, prompted some of the Jesuits to exile themselves in the United Kingdom. Young Jesuit students continued their studies in Jersey. In the meantime, Teilhard earned a licentiate in literature in Caen in 1902.

Academic career

From 1905 to 1908, he taught physics and chemistry in Cairo, Egypt, at the Jesuit College of the Holy Family. He wrote "...it is the dazzling of the East foreseen and drunk greedily... in its lights, its vegetation, its fauna and its deserts." (''Letters from Egypt'' (1905–1908) — ''Éditions Aubier'')

Teilhard studied theology in Hastings, in Sussex (United Kingdom), from 1908 to 1912. There he synthesized his scientific, philosophical and theological knowledge in the light of evolution. His reading of ''L'Évolution Créatrice'' (The Creative Evolution) by Henri Bergson was, he said, the "catalyst of a fire which devoured already its heart and its spirit." His views on evolution and religion particularly inspired the evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky. Teilhard was ordained a priest on August 24, 1911, aged 30.

Paleontology

From 1912 to 1914, Teilhard worked in the paleontology laboratory of the ''Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle'', in Paris, studying the mammals of the middle Tertiary period. Later he studied elsewhere in Europe. In June 1912 he formed part of the original digging team, with Arthur Smith Woodward and Charles Dawson, to perform follow-up investigations at the Piltdown site, after the discovery of the first fragments of the (fraudulent) "Piltdown Man". Professor Marcellin Boule (specialist in Neanderthal studies), who so early as 1915 astutely recognised the non-hominid origins of the Piltdown finds, gradually guided Teilhard towards human paleontology. At the museum's Institute of Human Paleontology, he became a friend of Henri Breuil and took part with him, in 1913, in excavations in the prehistoric painted caves in the northwest of Spain, at the Cave of Castillo.

Service in World War I

Mobilised in December 1914, Teilhard served in World War I as a stretcher-bearer in the 8th Moroccan Rifles. For his valour, he received several citations including the Médaille militaire and the Legion of Honour.

Throughout these years of war he developed his reflections in his diaries and in letters to his cousin, Marguerite Teillard-Chambon, who later edited them into a book: ''Genèse d'une pensée'' (''Genesis of a thought''). He confessed later: "...the war was a meeting ... with the Absolute." In 1916, he wrote his first essay: ''La Vie Cosmique'' (''Cosmic life''), where his scientific and philosophical thought was revealed just as his mystical life. He pronounced his solemn vows as a Jesuit in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, on May 26, 1918, during a leave. In August 1919, in Jersey, he would write ''Puissance spirituelle de la Matière'' (''the spiritual Power of Matter''). The complete essays written between 1916 and 1919 are published under the following titles:

''Ecrits du temps de la Guerre'' (''Written in time of the War'') (TXII of complete Works) – ''Editions du Seuil''

''Genèse d'une pensée'' (letters of 1914 to 1918) – ''Editions Grasset''

Teilhard followed at the Sorbonne three unit degrees of natural science: geology, botany and zoology. His thesis treated of the mammals of the French lower Eocene and their stratigraphy. After 1920, he lectured in geology at the Catholic Institute of Paris, then became an assistant professor after being granted a science Doctorate in 1922.

Research in China

In 1923 he traveled to China with Father Emile Licent, who was in charge in Tianjin for a significant laboratory collaborating with the Natural History Museum in Paris and Marcellin Boule's laboratory. Licent carried out considerable basic work in connection with missionaries who accumulated observations of a scientific nature in their spare time. He was known as 德日進 (pinyin: Dérìjìn) in China.

Teilhard wrote several essays, including ''La Messe sur le Monde'' (the ''Mass on the World''), in the Ordos Desert. In the following year he continued lecturing at the Catholic Institute and participated in a cycle of conferences for the students of the Engineers' Schools. Two theological essays on Original Sin" sent to a theologian, on his request, on a purely personal basis, were wrongly understood.

July 1920: ''Chute, Rédemption et Géocentrie'' (''Fall, Redemption and Geocentry'')

Spring 1922: ''Notes sur quelques représentations historiques possibles du Péché originel'' (''Notes on few possible historical representations of original sin'') (Works, Tome X)

The Church required him to give up his lecturing at the Catholic Institute and to continue his geological research in China.

Teilhard travelled again to China in April 1926. He would remain there more or less twenty years, with many voyages throughout the world. He settled until 1932 in Tientsin with Emile Licent then in Beijing. From 1926 to 1935, Teilhard made five geological research expeditions in China. They enabled him to establish a general geological map of China.

1926 : Fr. de Chardin’s Superiors in the Jesuit Order forbade him to teach any longer.

In 1926–1927 after a missed campaign in Gansu he travelled in the Sang-Kan-Ho valley near Kalgan (Zhangjiakou) and made a tour in Eastern Mongolia. He wrote ''Le Milieu Divin'' (''the divine Medium''). Teilhard prepared the first pages of his main work ''Le Phénomène humain'' (''The Human Phenomenon'').

1927 : Holy See refused the Imprimatur for his book Le Milieu Divin.

He joined the ongoing excavations of the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian as an advisor in 1926 and continued in the role for the Cenozoic Research Laboratory of the Geological Survey of China following its founding in 1928.

He resided in Manchuria with Emile Licent, then stayed in Western Shansi (Shanxi) and northern Shensi (Shaanxi) with the Chinese paleontologist C. C. Young and with Davidson Black, Chairman of the Geological Survey of China.

After a tour in Manchuria in the area of Great Khingan with Chinese geologists, Teilhard joined the team of American Expedition Center-Asia in the Gobi organised in June and July, by the American Museum of Natural History with Roy Chapman Andrews.

Henri Breuil and Teilhard discovered that the ''Peking Man'', the nearest relative of ''Pithecanthropus'' from Java, was a "''faber''" (worker of stones and controller of fire). Teilhard wrote ''L'Esprit de la Terre'' (''the Spirit of the Earth'').

Teilhard took part as a scientist in the famous "Croisiere Jaune" or "Yellow Cruise" financed by Andre Citroen in Central Asia. Northwest of Beijing in Kalgan he joined the China group who joined the second part of the team, the Pamir group, in Aksu. He remained with his colleagues for several months in Urumqi, capital of Sinkiang. The following year the Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) began. 1933 : Rome ordered him to give up his post in Paris. Teilhard undertook several explorations in the south of China. He traveled in the valleys of Yangtze River and Szechuan (Sichuan) in 1934, then, the following year, in Kwang-If and Guangdong. The relationship with Marcellin Boule was disrupted; the Museum cut its financing on the grounds that Teilhard worked more for the Chinese Geological Service than for the Museum.

During all these years, Teilhard strongly contributed to the constitution of an international network of research in human paleontology related to the whole Eastern and south Eastern zone of the Asian continent. He would be particularly associated in this task with two friends, the English/Canadian Davidson Black and the Scot George B. Barbour. Many times he would visit France or the United States, only to leave these countries to go on further expeditions.

World travels

From 1927–1928 Teilhard stayed in France, based in Paris. He journeyed to Leuven, Belgium, to Cantal, and to Ariège, France. Between several articles in reviews, he met new people such as Paul Valéry and Bruno de Solages, who were to help him in issues with the Catholic Church.

Answering an invitation from Henry de Monfreid, Teilhard undertook a journey of two months in Obock in Harrar and in Somalia with his colleague Pierre Lamarre, geologist, before embarking in Djibouti to return to Tianjin. While in China, Teilhard developed a deep and personal friendship with Lucile Swan.

From 1930–1931 Teilhard stayed in France and in the United States. During a conference in Paris, Teilhard stated: "For the observers of the Future, the greatest event will be the sudden appearance of a collective humane conscience and a human work to make."

From 1932–1933 he began to meet people to clarify issues with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, regarding ''Le Milieu Divin'' and ''L'Esprit de la Terre''. He met Helmut de Terra, a German geologist in the International Geology Congress in Washington, DC.

Teilhard participated in the 1935 Yale–Cambridge expedition in northern and central India with the geologist Helmut de Terra and Patterson, who verified their assumptions on Indian Paleolithic civilisations in Kashmir and the Salt Range Valley.

He then made a short stay in Java, on the invitation of Professor Ralph van Koenigswald to the site of Java man. A second cranium, more complete, was discovered. This Dutch paleontologist had found (in 1933) a tooth in a Chinese apothecary shop in 1934 that he believed belonged to a giant tall ape that lived around half a million years ago.

In 1937 Teilhard wrote ''Le Phénomène spirituel'' (''The Phenomenon of the Spirit'') on board the boat ''the Empress of Japan'', where he met the Raja of Sarawak. The ship conveyed him to the United States. He received the Mendel medal granted by Villanova University during the Congress of Philadelphia in recognition of his works on human paleontology. He made a speech about evolution, origins and the destiny of Man. The ''New York Times'' dated March 19, 1937 presented Teilhard as the Jesuit who held that man descended from monkeys. Some days later, he was to be granted the ''Doctor Honoris Causa'' distinction from Boston College. Upon arrival in that city, he was told that the award had been cancelled.

1939 : Rome banned his work L’Energie Humaine.

He then stayed in France, where he was immobilized by malaria. During his return voyage to Beijing he wrote ''L'Energie spirituelle de la Souffrance'' (''Spiritual Energy of Suffering'') (Complete Works, tome VII).

1941 : de Chardin submitted to Rome his most important work Le Phenomena Humaine.

1947 : Rome forbade him to write or teach on philosophical subjects.

1948 : de Chardin was called to Rome by the Superior General of the Jesuits who hoped to acquire permission from the Holy See for the publication of his most important work Le Phenomena Humaine. But the prohibition to publish it issued in 1944, was again renewed. Teilhard was also forbidden to take a teaching post in the College de France.

1949 : Permission to publish Le Groupe Zoologique was refused.

1950: de Chardin was named to the French Academy of Sciences.

1955 : de Chardin forbidden by his Superiors to attend the “International Congress of Paleontology”.

1957 : The Supreme Authority of the Holy Office in a decree dated 15 Nov 1957, forbade the works of de Chardin to be retained in libraries, including those of religious institutes. His books were not to be sold in Catholic bookshops and were not to be translated in other languages.

1958 : In April of this year, all Jesuit publications in Spain (“Raton y Fe”, “Sal Terrae”, “Estudios de Deusto”) etc., carried a notice from the Spanish Provincial of the Jesuits, that de Chardin’s works had been published in Spanish without previous ecclesiastical examination and in defiance of the decrees of the Holy See.

1962 : A decree of the Holy Office dated 30 June, under the authority of Pope John XX III. warned that “. . . it is obvious that in philosophical and theological matters, the said works (de Chardin’s) are replete with ambiguities or rather with serious errors which offend Catholic doctrine. That is why ... the Rev. Fathers of the Holy Office urge all Ordinaries, Superiors, and Rectors ... to effectively protect, especially the minds of the young, against the dangers of the works of Fr. Teilhard de Chardin and his followers”. (AAS, 6 Aug 1962).

1963 : The Vicariate of Rome (a diocese ruled in the name of Pope Paul VI by his Cardinal Vicar) in a decree dated 30 September, required that Catholic booksellers in Rome, should withdraw from circulation the works of de Chardin, together with those books which favour his erroneous doctrines. The text of this document was published in daily L’Aurore of Paris, dated 2 Oct 1963, and was reproduced in Nouvelles de Chretiente, l0 Oct 1963, p. 35.

Death

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin died in New York City, where he was in residence at the Jesuit church of St Ignatius of Loyola, Park Avenue. On March 15, 1955, at the house of his diplomat cousin Jean de Lagarde, Teilhard told friends he hoped he would die on Easter Sunday. In the Easter Sunday evening of April 10, 1955, during an animated discussion at the apartment of Rhoda de Terra, his personal assistant since 1949, the 73-year-old priest was felled by a heart seizure; regaining consciousness for a moment, he died a few minutes later. He was buried in the cemetery for the New York Province of the Jesuits at the Jesuit novitiate, St. Andrew's-on-the-Hudson in Poughkeepsie, upstate New York.

Controversy with Church officials

In 1925, Teilhard was ordered by the Jesuit Superior General Vladimir Ledochowski to leave his teaching position in France and to sign a statement withdrawing his controversial statements regarding the doctrine of original sin. Rather than leave the Jesuit order, Teilhard signed the statement and left for China.

This was the first of a series of condemnations by certain ecclesiastical officials that would continue until long after Teilhard's death. The climax of these condemnations was a 1962 monitum (reprimand) of the Holy Office denouncing his works. From the monitum:

Teilhard's writings, though, continued to circulate — not publicly, as he and the Jesuits observed their commitments to obedience, but in mimeographs that were circulated only privately, within the Jesuits, among theologians and scholars for discussion, debate and criticism.

As time passed, it seemed that the works of Teilhard were gradually becoming viewed more favourably within the Church. For example, on June 10, 1981, Cardinal Agostino Casaroli wrote on the front page of the Vatican newspaper, ''l'Osservatore Romano'':

However, shortly thereafter the Holy See clarified that recent statements by members of the Church, in particular those made on the hundredth anniversary of Teilhard's birth, were not to be interpreted as a revision of previous stands taken by the Church officials. Thus the 1962 statement remains official Church policy to this day.

Although some Catholic intellectuals defended Teilhard and his doctrine (including Henri de Lubac), others condemned his teaching as a perversion of the Christian faith. These include Jacques Maritain, Étienne Gilson and Dietrich von Hildebrand.

Teachings

In his posthumously published book, ''The Phenomenon of Man'', Teilhard writes of the unfolding of the material cosmos, from primordial particles to the development of life, human beings and the noosphere, and finally to his vision of the Omega Point in the future, which is "pulling" all creation towards it. He was a leading proponent of orthogenesis, the idea that evolution occurs in a directional, goal driven way, argued in terms that today go under the banner of convergent evolution. Teilhard argued in Darwinian terms with respect to biology, and supported the synthetic model of evolution, but argued in Lamarckian terms for the development of culture, primarily through the vehicle of education.

Teilhard makes sense of the universe by its evolutionary process. He interprets complexity as the axis of evolution of matter into a geosphere, a biosphere, into consciousness (in man,) and then to supreme consciousness (the Omega Point.)

Teilhard's life work was predicated on the conviction that human spiritual development is moved by the same universal laws as material development. He wrote, "...everything is the sum of the past" and "...nothing is comprehensible except through its history. 'Nature' is the equivalent of 'becoming', self-creation: this is the view to which experience irresistibly leads us. ... There is nothing, not even the human soul, the highest spiritual manifestation we know of, that does not come within this universal law." There is no doubt that ''The Phenomenon of Man'' represents Teilhard's attempt at reconciling his religious faith with his academic interests as a paleontologist. One particularly poignant observation in Teilhard's book entails the notion that evolution is becoming an increasingly optional process. Teilhard points to the societal problems of isolation and marginalization as huge inhibitors of evolution, especially since evolution requires a unification of consciousness. He states that "no evolutionary future awaits anyone except in association with everyone else." Teilhard argued that the human condition necessarily leads to the psychic unity of humankind, though he stressed that this unity can only be voluntary; this voluntary psychic unity he termed "unanimization." Teilhard also states that "evolution is an ascent toward consciousness", giving encephalization as an example of early stages, and therefore, signifies a continuous upsurge toward the Omega Point, which for all intents and purposes, is God.

Influence

Teilhard and his work have a continuing presence in the arts and culture. He inspired a number of characters in literary works. References range from occasional quotations—an auto mechanic quotes Teilhard in Philip K. Dick's ''A Scanner Darkly'' -- to serving as the philosophical underpinning of the plot, as Teilhard's work does in Julian May's 1987–94 Galactic Milieu Series. Teilhard also plays a major role in Annie Dillard's 1999 ''For the Time Being''. Characters based on Teilhard appear in several novels, including Jean Telemond in Morris West's ''The Shoes of the Fisherman'' (mentioned by name and quoted by Oskar Werner playing Fr. Telemond in the movie version of the novel) and Father Lankester Merrin in William Peter Blatty's ''The Exorcist''. In Dan Simmons' 1989–97 ''Hyperion Cantos'', Teilhard de Chardin has been canonized a saint in the far future. His work inspires the anthropologist priest character, Paul Duré. When Duré becomes Pope, he takes ''Teilhard I'' as his regnal name.

Teilhard appears as a minor character in the play "Fake" by Eric Simonson, staged by Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 2009, involving a fictional solution to the infamous Piltdown Man hoax.

Teilhard's work has also inspired the philosophical ruminations of Italian laureate architect Paolo Soleri, artworks such as French painter Alfred Manessier's ''L'Offrande de la terre ou Hommage à Teilhard de Chardin'' and American sculptor Frederick Hart's acrylic sculpture ''The Divine Milieu: Homage to Teilhard de Chardin''. A sculpture of the Omega Point by Henry Setter, with a quote from Teilhard de Chardin, can be found at the entrance to the Roesch Library at the University of Dayton. Edmund Rubbra's 1968 Symphony No. 8 is titled ''Hommage a Teilhard de Chardin''.

Teilhard's influence is commemorated on numerous collegiate campuses. A building at the University of Manchester is named after him, as are residence dormitories at Gonzaga University and Seattle University. His stature as a biologist was honored by George Gaylord Simpson in naming the most primitive and ancient genus of true primate, the Eocene genus ''Teilhardina''.

The title of the short-story collection ''Everything That Rises Must Converge'' by Flannery O'Connor is a reference to Teilhard's work.

The American novelist Don DeLillo's 2010 novel ''Point Omega'' borrows its title and some of its ideas from Teilhard de Chardin.

Robert Wright, in his book ''Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny'', compares his own naturalistic thesis that biological and cultural evolution are directional and, possibly, purposeful, with Teilhard's ideas.

Bibliography

The dates in parentheses are the dates of first publication in French and English. Most of these works were written years earlier, but Teilhard's ecclesiastical order forbade him to publish them because of their controversial nature. The essay collections are organized by subject rather than date, thus each one typically spans many years.

''Le Phénomène Humain'' (1955), written 1938–40, scientific exposition of Teilhard's theory of evolution

* ''The Phenomenon of Man'' (1959), Harper Perennial 1976: ISBN 0-06-090495-X. Reprint 2008: ISBN 978-0061632655.

* ''The Human Phenomenon'' (1999), Brighton: Sussex Academic, 2003: ISBN 1-902210-30-1

''Letters From a Traveler'' (1956; English translation 1962), written 1923–55

''Le Groupe Zoologique Humain'' (1956), written 1949, more detailed presentation of Teilhard's theories

* ''Man's Place in Nature'' (English translation 1966)

''Le Milieu Divin'' (1957), spiritual book written 1926–27, in which the author seeks to offer a way for everyday life, or the secular, to be divinised.

* ''The Divine Milieu'' (1960) Harper Perennial 2001: ISBN 0-06-093725-4

''L'Avenir de l'Homme'' (1959) essays written 1920–52, on the evolution of consciousness (noosphere)

* ''The Future of Man'' (1964) Image 2004: ISBN 0-385-51072-1

''Hymn of the Universe'' (1961; English translation 1965) Harper and Row: ISBN 0-06-131910-4, mystical/spiritual essays and thoughts written 1916–55

''L'Energie Humaine'' (1962), essays written 1931–39, on morality and love

* ''Human Energy'' (1969) Harcort Brace Jovanovich ISBN 0-15-642300-6

''L'Activation de l'Energie'' (1963), sequel to ''Human Energy'', essays written 1939–55 but not planned for publication, about the universality and irreversibility of human action

* ''Activation of Energy'' (1970), Harvest/HBJ 2002: ISBN 0-15-602817-4

''Je M'Explique'' (1966) Jean-Pierre Demoulin, editor ISBN 0-685-36593-X, "The Essential Teilhard" — selected passages from his works

* ''Let Me Explain'' (1970) Harper and Row ISBN 0-06-061800-0, Collins/Fontana 1973: ISBN 0-00-623379-1

''Christianity and Evolution'', Harvest/HBJ 2002: ISBN 0-15-602818-2

''The Heart of the Matter'', Harvest/HBJ 2002: ISBN 0-15-602758-5

''Toward the Future'', Harvest/HBJ 2002: ISBN 0-15-602819-0

''The Making of a Mind: Letters from a Soldier-Priest 1914-1919'', Collins (1965), Letters written during wartime.

''Writings in Time of War'', Collins (1968) composed of spiritual essays written during wartime. One of the few books of Teilhard to receive an imprimatur.

''Vision of the Past'', Collins (1966) composed of mostly scientific essays published in the French science journal ''Etudes''.

''The Appearance of Man'', Collins (1965) composed of mostly scientific writings published in the French science journal ''Etudes''.

''Letters to Two Friends 1926-1952'', Fontana (1968) composed of personal letters on varied subjects including his understanding of death.

''Letters to Leontine Zanta'', Collins (1969)

''Correspondence / Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Maurice Blondel'', Herder and Herder (1967) This correspondence also has both the imprimatur and nihil obstat.

See also

Edouard Le Roy

Thomas Berry

List of science and religion scholars

List of Jesuit scientists

List of Roman Catholic scientist-clerics

References

Further reading

Amir Aczel, ''The Jesuit and the Skull: Teilhard de Chardin, Evolution and the Search for Peking Man'' (Riverhead Hardcover, 2007)

Claude Cuenot, ''Science and Faith in Teilhard de Chardin'' (Garstone Press, 1967)

Andre Dupleix, ''15 Days of Prayer with Teilhard de Chardin'' (New City Press, 2008)

Robert Faricy, SJ, ''Teilhard de Chardin's Theology of Christian in the World'' (Sheed and Ward 1968)

Robert Faricy, SJ, ''The Spirituality of Teilhard de Chardin'' (Collins 1981, Harper & Row 1981)

Robert Faricy, SJ and Lucy Rooney SND, ''Praying with Teilhard de Chardin''(Queenship 1996)

David Grumett, ''Teilhard de Chardin: Theology, Humanity and Cosmos'' (Peeters 2005)

Dietrich von Hildebrand, ''Teilhard de Chardin: A False Prophet'' (Franciscan Herald Press 1970).

Dietrich von Hildebrand, ''Trojan Horse in the City of God''

Dietrich von Hildebrand, ''Devastated Vineyard''

Ursula King, ''The Spirit of Fire: The Life and Vision of Teilhard de Chardin'' (Orbis Books, 1996)

David H. Lane, ''The Phenomenon of Teilhard: Prophet for a New Age'' (Mercer University Press)

Lubac, Henri de, SJ, ''The Religion of Teilhard de Chardin'' (Image Books, 1968)

Lubac, Henri de, SJ, ''The Faith of Teilhard de Chardin'' (Burnes and Oates, 1965)

Lubac, Henri de, SJ, ''The Eternal Feminine: A Study of the Text of Teilhard de Chardin'' (Collins, 1971)

Lubac, Henri de, SJ, ''Teilhard Explained'' (Paulist Press, 1968)

Mary and Ellen Lukas, ''Teilhard'' (Doubleday, 1977)

George A. Maloney, SJ, ''The Cosmic Christ: From Paul to Teilhard'' (Sheed and Ward, 1968)

Mooney, Christopher, SJ, ''Teilhard de Chardin and the Mystery of Christ'' (Image Books, 1968)

Murray, Michael H. ''The Thought of Teilhard de Chardin'' (Seabury Press, N.Y., 1966)

Robert J. O'Connell, SJ, ''Teilhard's Vision of the Past: The Making of a Method'', (Fordham University Press, 1982)

Noel Keith Roberts, ''From Piltdown Man to Point Omega: the evolutionary theory of Teilhard de Chardin'' (New York, Peter Lang, 2000)

Robert Speaight, ''The Life of Teilhard de Chardin'' (Harper and Row, 1967)

Helmut de Terra, ''Memories of Teilhard de Chardin,'' (Harper and Row and Wm Collins Sons & Co., 1964)

External links

Pro

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's books in the Internet Archive

Chardin, Pierre Teilhard de ♦ The Phenomenon of Man Scanned book in the Internet Archive

Chardin, Pierre Teilhard de ♦ The Phenomenon of Man An HTML version of the book (without illustrations)

The Teilhard de Chardin Foundation

The American Teilhard Association

Teilhard de Chardin A personal website

Contra

Warning Regarding the Writings of Father Teilhard de Chardin The Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office, 1962

Medawar, Peter ♦ A review of ''The Phenomenon of Man'' ''Mind'', N.S., 70 (1961) pp. 99–106

McCarthy, John F. ♦ A review of ''Teilhardism and the New Religion'' by Wolfgang Smith 1989

Other

Category:1881 births Category:1955 deaths Category:20th-century French philosophers Category:20th-century Roman Catholic priests Category:Christian mystics Category:French Christian theologians Category:French Jesuits Category:French paleontologists Category:French philosophers Category:French religious writers Category:Members of the French Academy of Sciences Category:Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Category:People from Puy-de-Dôme Category:Recipients of the Médaille Militaire Category:Roman Catholic cleric–scientists Category:Roman Catholic theologians Category:University of Paris alumni

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Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
name	Margaret Mead
birth date	December 16, 1901
birth place	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
death date	November 15, 1978
death place	New York City
education	A.B., Barnard College (1923) M.A., Columbia University (1924) Ph.D., Columbia University (1929)
occupation	Anthropologist
spouse	Luther Cressman (1923-1928) Reo Fortune (1928-1935) Gregory Bateson (1936-1950)
children	Mary Catherine Bateson (b. 1939) }}

Margaret Mead (December 16, 1901 – November 15, 1978) was an American cultural anthropologist, who was frequently a featured writer and speaker in the mass media throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

She was both a popularizer of the insights of anthropology into modern American and Western culture, and also a respected, if controversial, academic anthropologist. Her reports about the attitudes towards sex in South Pacific and Southeast Asian traditional cultures amply informed the 1960s sexual revolution. Mead was a champion of broadened sexual morals within a context of traditional western religious life.

An Anglican Christian, she played a considerable part in the drafting of the 1979 American Episcopal Book of Common Prayer.

Birth, early family life and education

Mead was the first of five children, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but raised in Doylestown. Her father, Edward Sherwood Mead, was a professor of finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and her mother, Emily Fogg Mead, was a sociologist who studied Italian immigrants. Her sister Katharine (1906–1907) died at the age of nine months. This was a traumatic event for Mead, who had named this baby, and thoughts of her lost sister permeated her daydreams for many years. Her family moved frequently, so her early education alternated between home-schooling and traditional schools. Born into a family of varying religious outlooks, she searched for a form of religion that gave an expression of the faith that she had been formally acquainted with, Christianity. In doing so, she found the rituals of the Episcopal Church to fit the expression of religion she was seeking. Margaret studied one year, 1919, at DePauw University, then transferred to Barnard College where she earned her Bachelor's degree in 1923.

She studied with Professor Franz Boas and Dr. Ruth Benedict at Columbia University before earning her Master's in 1924. Mead set out in 1925 to do fieldwork in Polynesia. In 1926, she joined the American Museum of Natural History, New York City, as assistant curator. She received her Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1929.

Both of Mead's surviving sisters were married to well-known men. Elizabeth Mead (1909–1983), an artist and teacher, married cartoonist William Steig, and Priscilla Mead (1911–1959) married author Leo Rosten. Mead also had a brother, Richard, who became a professor.

Mead's observation skills came from her grandmother and her mother. When Mead was a child they would observe and record her actions in a notebook. Mead realized the importance of observing and recording important findings.

Personal life

Mead was married three times. Her first husband (1923–1928) was Luther Cressman, a theology student at the time who eventually became an anthropologist. Mead dismissively characterized their union as "my student marriage" in ''Blackberry Winter'', a sobriquet with which Cressman took vigorous issue. Her second husband was New Zealander Reo Fortune, a Cambridge graduate (1928–1935). As an anthropologist, his ''Sorcerers of Dobu'' remains the ''locus classicus'' of eastern Papuan anthropology, but he is best known instead for his Fortunate number theory. She described her second marriage as more passionate than the first, embarked upon when she was told that she could not have children and abandoned when she was given hope by another physician that childbearing might indeed be possible.

Her third and longest-lasting marriage (1936–1950) was to Englishman Gregory Bateson, also a Cambridge graduate, with whom she had a daughter, Mary Catherine Bateson, who would also become an anthropologist. Her pediatrician was Benjamin Spock early in his career. Spock's subsequent writings on child rearing incorporated some of Mead's own practices and beliefs acquired from her ethnological field observations which she shared with him; in particular, breastfeeding on the baby's demand rather than a schedule. She readily acknowledged that Gregory Bateson was the husband she loved the most. She was devastated when he left her, and she remained his loving friend ever after, keeping his photograph by her bedside wherever she traveled, including beside her hospital deathbed.

Mead also had an exceptionally close relationship with Ruth Benedict, one of her instructors. In her memoir about her parents, ''With a Daughter's Eye'', Mary Catherine Bateson implies that the relationship between Benedict and Mead was partly sexual. While Margaret Mead never openly identified herself as lesbian or bisexual, the details of her relationship with Benedict have led others to so identify her. In her writings she proposed that it is to be expected that an individual's sexual orientation may evolve throughout life.

She spent her last years in a close personal and professional collaboration with anthropologist Rhoda Metraux, with whom she lived from 1955 until her death in 1978. Letters between the two published in 2006 with the permission of Mead's daughter clearly express a romantic relationship.

Career and later life

During World War II, Mead served as executive secretary of the National Research Council's Committee on Food Habits. She served as curator of ethnology at the American Museum of Natural History from 1946 to 1969. She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1948. She taught at The New School and Columbia University, where she was an adjunct professor from 1954 to 1978. She was a professor of anthropology and chair of the Division of Social Sciences at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus from 1968 to 1970, founding their anthropology department. Following the Ruth Benedict's example, Mead focused her research on problems of child rearing, personality, and culture. She served as President of the American Anthropological Association in 1960. She held various positions in the American Association for the Advancement of Science, notably president in 1975 and chair of the executive committee of the board of directors in 1976.

Mead was featured on two record albums published by Folkways Records. The first, released in 1959, ''An Interview With Margaret Mead,'' explored the topics of morals and anthropology. In 1971, she was included in a compilation of talks by prominent women, ''But the Women Rose, Vol.2: Voices of Women in American History''.

She is credited with the pluralization of the term "semiotics."

In later life, Mead was a mentor to many young anthropologists and sociologists, including Jean Houston.

Mead died of pancreatic cancer on November 15, 1978. She was buried at Trinity Episcopal Church in Buckingham, Pennsylvania.

Work

''Coming of Age in Samoa''

In the foreword to ''Coming of Age in Samoa'', Mead's advisor, Franz Boas, wrote of its significance:

Courtesy, modesty, good manners, conformity to definite ethical standards are universal, but what constitutes courtesy, modesty, very good manners, and definite ethical standards is not universal. It is instructive to know that standards differ in the most unexpected ways.

Boas went on to point out that at the time of publication, many Americans had begun to discuss the problems faced by young people (particularly women) as they pass through adolescence as "unavoidable periods of adjustment". Boas felt that a study of the problems faced by adolescents in another culture would be illuminating.

And so, as Mead herself described the goal of her research: "I have tried to answer the question which sent me to Samoa: Are the disturbances which vex our adolescents due to the nature of adolescence itself or to the civilization? Under different conditions does adolescence present a different picture?" To answer this question, she conducted her study among a small group of Samoans — a village of 600 people on the island of Ta‘u — in which she got to know, live with, observe, and interview through an interpreter 68 young women between the ages of 9 and 20. She concluded that the passage from childhood to adulthood — adolescence — in Samoa was a smooth transition and not marked by the emotional or psychological distress, anxiety, or confusion seen in the United States.

As Boas and Mead expected, this book upset many Westerners when it first appeared in 1928. Many American readers were shocked by her observation that incest was common in the Samoan culture and her claim that young Samoan women deferred marriage for many years while enjoying casual sex but eventually married, settled down, and successfully reared their own children.

Mead's findings suggested that the community ignores both boys and girls until they are about 15 or 16. Before then, children have no social standing within the community. Mead also found that marriage is regarded as a social and economic arrangement where wealth, rank, and job skills of the husband and wife are taken into consideration.

In 1983, five years after Mead had died, New Zealand anthropologist Derek Freeman, published ''Margaret Mead and Samoa: The Making and Unmaking of an Anthropological Myth'', in which he challenged Mead's major findings about sexuality in Samoan society, citing statements of her surviving informants' claiming that she had coaxed them into giving her the answers she wanted. Most anthropologists have been highly critical of Freeman's arguments, even if they are often skeptical of Mead's popular works, such as Coming of Age in Samoa. A frequent critique of Freeman is that he regularly misrepresented Mead's research and views. In a recent evaluation of the debate, anthropologist Paul Shankman concluded that: :There is now a large body of criticism of Freeman's work from a number of perspectives in which Mead, Samoa, and anthropology appear in a very different light than they do in Freeman's work. Indeed, the immense significance that Freeman gave his critique looks like "much ado about nothing" to many of his critics.

Evaluating Mead's work in Samoa from a positivist stance, Martin Orans' assessment of the controversy was that Mead did not formulate her research agenda in scientific terms, nor did she carry it out with proper scientific rigour, meaning that her enquiry could not have provided the evidence needed to prove her thesis. Thus he concludes that "her work may properly be damned with the harshest scientific criticism of all, that it is "not even wrong"".

''Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies''

Another influential book by Mead was ''Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies''. This became a major cornerstone of the feminist movement, since it claimed that females are dominant in the Tchambuli (now spelled Chambri) Lake region of the Sepik basin of Papua New Guinea (in the western Pacific) without causing any special problems. The lack of male dominance may have been the result of the Australian administration's outlawing of warfare. According to contemporary research, males are dominant throughout Melanesia (although some believe that female witches have special powers). Others have argued that there is still much cultural variation throughout Melanesia, and especially in the large island of New Guinea. Moreover, anthropologists often overlook the significance of networks of political influence among females. The formal male dominated institutions typical of some areas of high population density were not, for example, present in the same way in Oksapmin, West Sepik Province, a more sparsely populated area. Cultural patterns there were different from, say, Mt. Hagen. They were closer to those described by Mead.

Mead stated that the Arapesh people, also in the Sepik, were pacifists, although she noted that they do on occasion engage in warfare. Her observations about the sharing of garden plots amongst the Arapesh, the egalitarian emphasis in child rearing, and her documentation of predominantly peaceful relations among relatives are very different from the "big man" displays of dominance that were documented in more stratified New Guinea cultures — e.g., by Andrew Strathern. They are a different cultural pattern.

In brief, her comparative study revealed a full range of contrasting gender roles:

"Among the Arapesh, both men and women were peaceful in temperament and neither men nor women made war.

"Among the Mundugumor, the opposite was true: both men and women were warlike in temperament.

"And the Tchambuli were different from both. The men 'primped' and spent their time decorating themselves while the women worked and were the practical ones — the opposite of how it seemed in early 20th century America."

Other research areas

Mead has been credited with persuading the American Jewish Committee to sponsor a project to study European Jewish villages, ''shtetls'', in which a team of researchers would conduct mass interviews with Jewish immigrants living in New York City. The resulting book, widely cited for decades, allegedly created the Jewish mother stereotype, a mother intensely loving but controlling to the point of smothering, and engendering guilt in her children through the suffering she professed to undertake for their sakes.

She also cofounded the Parapsychological Association, a group advocating for the advancement of parapsychology and psychical research.

Criticism

Derek Freeman, an anthropologist who spent many years among the Samoans, was critical of Mead's findings that culture is responsible for the disturbances of adolescence, and that Samoans had a significantly different experience. He wrote: Martin Orans, another anthropologist who worked in Samoa, wrote:

Legacy

On January 19, 1979, President Jimmy Carter announced that he was awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Mead. U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young presented the award to Mead's daughter at a special program honoring Mead's contributions, sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History, where she spent many years of her career. The citation read:

The 2006 music video for "If Everyone Cared" by Nickelback ends with her quote: "Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

In addition, there are several schools named after Margaret Mead in the United States: a junior high school in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, an elementary school in Sammamish, Washington and another in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York.

See also

Elsie Clews Parsons

Tim Asch

Visual anthropology

Zora Neale Hurston

Publications by Mead

;As a sole author

''Coming of Age in Samoa'' (1928) ISBN 0-688-05033-6

''Growing Up in New Guinea'' (1930) ISBN 0-688-17811-1

''The Changing Culture of an Indian Tribe'' (1932)

''Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies'' (1935)

''And Keep Your Powder Dry: An Anthropologist Looks at America'' (1942)

''Male and Female'' (1949) ISBN 0-688-14676-7

''New Lives for Old: Cultural Transformation in Manus, 1928-1953'' (1956)

''People and Places'' (1959; a book for young readers)

''Continuities in Cultural Evolution'' (1964)

''Culture and Commitment'' (1970)

''Blackberry Winter: My Earlier Years'' (1972; autobiography) ISBN 0-317-60065-6

;As editor or coauthor

''Cultural Patterns and Technical Change'', editor (1953)

''Primitive Heritage: An Anthropological Anthology'', edited with Nicholas Calas (1953)

''An Anthropologist at Work'', editor (1959, reprinted 1966; a volume of Ruth Benedict's writings)

''The Study of Culture At A Distance'', edited with Rhoda Metraux, 1953

''Themes in French Culture'', with Rhoda Metraux, 1954

''The Wagon and the Star: A Study of American Community Initiative'' co-authored with Muriel Whitbeck Brown, 1966

''A Rap on Race'', with James Baldwin, 1971

''A Way of Seeing'', with Rhoda Metraux, 1975

References

Bibliography

Bateson, Mary Catherine. (1984) ''With a Daughter's Eye: A Memoir of Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson'', New York: William Morrow. ISBN 0-688-03962-6

Caffey, Margaret M., and Patricia A. Francis, eds. (2006). ''To Cherish the Life of the World: Selected Letters of Margaret Mead''. New York: Basic Books.

Caton, Hiram, ed. (1990) ''The Samoa Reader: Anthropologists Take Stock'', University Press of America. ISBN 0-8191-7720-2

Foerstel, Leonora, and Angela Gilliam, eds. (1992). ''Confronting the Margaret Mead Legacy: Scholarship, Empire and the South Pacific''. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

Freeman, Derek. (1983) ''Margaret Mead and Samoa'', Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-54830-2

Freeman, Derek. (1999) ''The Fateful Hoaxing of Margaret Mead: A Historical Analysis of Her Samoan Research'', Boulder, CO: Westview Press. ISBN 0-8133-3693-7

Holmes, Lowell D. (1987). ''Quest for the Real Samoa: the Mead/Freeman Controversy and Beyond''. South Hadley, MA: Bergin and Garvey.

Howard, Jane. (1984). ''Margaret Mead: A Life'', New York: Simon and Schuster.

Keeley, Lawrence (1996). War Before Civilization: the Myth of the Peaceful Savage (Oxford University Press) ISBN 0195119126

Lapsley, Hilary. (1999). ''Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict: The Kinship of Women''. University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 1-55849-181-3

Lutkehaus, Nancy C. (2008). "Margaret Mead: The Making of an American Icon." Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-00941-4

Mead, Margaret. 1977. The Future as Frame for the Present. Audio recording of a lecture delivered July 11, 1977.

Pinker, Steven A. (1997). "How the Mind Works" ISBN 978-0-393-04535-8

Sandall, Roger. (2001) ''The Culture Cult: Designer Tribalism and Other Essays''. ISBN 0-8133-3863-8

Shore, Brad. (1982) ''Sala'ilua: A Samoan Mystery''. New York: Columbia University Press.

Virginia, Mary E. (2003). Benedict, Ruth (1887–1948). ''DISCovering U.S. History'' online edition, Detroit: Gale.

Jimmy Clemons

External links

Creative Intelligence: Female ("The Silent Revolution: Creative Man In Contemporary Society" Talk at UC Berkeley, 1962 (online audio file)

The Institute for Intercultural Studies - ethnographic institute founded by Mead, with resources relating to Mead's work

*Margaret Mead biography at IIS

Library of Congress, Margaret Mead: Human Nature and the Power of Culture

American Museum of Natural History, Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival

"Margaret Mead, 1901-1978: A Public Face of Anthropology": brief biography, Voice of America

Category:1901 births Category:1978 deaths Category:American anthropologists Category:American anthropology writers Category:American curators Category:American Episcopalians Category:American women writers Category:DePauw University alumni Category:Barnard College alumni Category:Columbia University alumni Category:Writers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Category:Kalinga Prize recipients Category:Psychological anthropologists Category:Systems scientists Category:Visual anthropologists Category:Youth empowerment individuals Category:Women anthropologists Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer Category:Cancer deaths in New York Category:People associated with the American Museum of Natural History Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

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