Elliott Skinner

Elliott Percival Skinner (June 20, 1924 – April 1, 2007) was an American anthropologist and United States Ambassador to the Republic of Upper Volta.

Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Skinner came to the United States in 1943. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1944 and fought in World War II, which later allowed him to obtain citizenship. Skinner earned a bachelor's degree from New York University in 1951. He then attended Columbia University, where he earned a master’s degree in 1952 and a doctorate in 1955.

Skinner became a professor at Columbia in 1954. Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him ambassador to Upper Volta from 1966 to 1969.

Skinner learned the More (Language) spoken the Mossi while living in Upper Volta.

In 1972, Skinner became the first African-American department chair at Columbia as well as the first African-American tenured by the university in 1963. He wrote several books on Africa, some focusing on U.S. policy.

On April 21, 2007, Skinner died of heart failure at his home in Washington, D.C..[1] He was 82 years old.[2]