Dorson, Richard M.

Dorson, Richard M. (Mercer)

(1916–81) folklorist, historian; born in New York City. A Harvard-educated academic, he taught after 1957 at the University of Indiana, where he founded the Folklore Institute (1963). He was instrumental in establishing folklore as a scholarly discipline by advancing fieldwork techniques, helping to establish academic programs, and developing scholarly approaches to American folklore. His many works include a pioneering textbook, American Folklore (1959).