PITTMAN, Richard Saunders (Dick). Streator, Ill. 19.2.1915 — Waxhaw, Union, NC 21.8.1998. U.S. Linguist. Son of glass manufacturer Edwin John Pittman and Louise Shepard. Graduated 1936 from Asbury College. In 1940-50 lived in Tetelcingo, Mexico, doing linguistic fieldwork, and continued his studies in the U.S.A., first at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. M.A. 1948 and Ph.D. 1953 at University of Pennsylvania, in Linguistics. From 1952 lived in the Philippines studying local languages, travelled much in Asia, including India 1960 and Nepal 1966. Moved back to the U.S.A. in the late 1970s and settled in Waxhaw. From the 1940s he worked, in 1952-72 as its Director, in Summer Institute of Linguistics, Univer­sity of North Dakota, living in New Jersey (1968). Married 1936 Catherine (Kay) Matthews (1914–1999), three children.

Publications: Diss. on Nahuatl, also wrote on Tagalog, Australian languages, etc.

– Founded the Ethnologue and edited vols. 1-7, 1951-69.

Sources: Who’s Who in Tamil Res. 1968; geni.com with photo; D. Tuggy in scholars.sil.org with several photos; *‪Linguistics across continents: studies in honor of Richard S. Pittman‬. 1984.