David A. Fredrickson (1927 – 2012)

Professor of Anthropology 1967 – 1992

Dr. David A. Fredrickson founded SSU's Anthropology Department in 1967 and hired its first faculty members. Under his leadership and in spite of its small size, the archaeology program developed a national reputation for student research and scholarship. Dave Fredrickson was a gentle and kindly man who rarely criticized. He led by the example of his own commitment to research, his student family, and his music. Dr. Fredrickson was also a talented musician whose recordings are part of the Smithsonian Institution's Folkways collection. The gatherings of musicians and intellectuals at his Berkeley home are legendary; his influence as a friend and mentor to a generation of California archaeologists is immeasurable.

To honor Fredrickson's contribution to SSU, the Anthropology Department renamed the Stevenson Lab after him in April 2015.

ASC hopes this site can become a permanent memorial to David Fredrickson and that others will send us material to build something special. It will be divided into three sections: Dave’s music; a historical section with elements of Dave's archaeological career and a photo slideshow, and a memory page that we hope others will add to. Please email material to ASC@sonoma.edu and we will see it becomes part of the memorial.