A Tale of Two Giants: Wilhelm G. Solheim II (1924–2014) and William A. Longacre Jr. (1937–2015)

The history of the beginning of any field of study is probably most understandable through an examination of the lives of the men and women who were the first students in that field than it is through a direct examination of the field.

—Bill Solheim (1969), introducing his insightful obituary of H. Otley Beyer

This essay is not so much an obituary or combined obituaries as a personal appreciation of two archaeologists, Wilhelm G. Solheim II and William A. Longacre Jr., both of whom profoundly affected their home universities, Philippines studies, and the lives of many scholars. For this tale of two giants, I draw on my own and others’ memories, writings of others cited herein, and an amazingly detailed vita in my possession covering Bill Solheim’s work from 1947 through 1986. This is not a detailed accounting of their many research projects and accomplishments, but instead highlights the latter decades of their careers as they increasingly focused their research on theoretical and topical issues concerning the Philippines. I will attempt to write this accolade in the styles of both men, with the casualness of Bill Solheim and the clarity of Bill Longacre.

The lives of the two Bills are intertwined with the Philippines, embedded in the archaeological passions they shared with the students and colleagues with whom they lived and worked. Bill Solheim died in Manila in 2014, at age 89. He spent his final retirement years at the Archaeological Studies Program (ASP) in the University of the Philippines, Diliman (UPD), well cared for by ASP staff and his wife, Nene. He died at the university. Likewise, after his retirement from the University of Arizona (UA), Bill Longacre spent a semester every year at UPD until illness caught up with him. Unable to return from his Tucson home to his condominium in Manila after illness setbacks, he died at age 78. Both Bills were truly part of the Philippines and Philippine archaeology and their lives in university settings show some surprising parallels.

Bill Solheim told me tales of how he connected with the Philippines long before his prime archaeology days (see also Stark 2015). He came off his WWII service in Africa to arrive in Manila in 1949, where he was greeted by H. Otley Beyer, who became his mentor, colleague, and eventually friend. Bill knew he was stepping into uncharted territory, as Beyer was the only professional archaeologist in the country. Hanging out at the Jai Alai club with Beyer must have been fun. To stop and think that Bill was involved in Philippine archaeology for sixty-six years is humbling. To be sure, Bill traveled widely in Asia, ranging from Sri Lanka to northern East Asia and through Indonesia to then Irian Jaya. He and his students made international news with their archaeological work in Thailand, too. But the Philippines always drew him back.

Bill worked throughout the Philippines, from Fuga Island (where he examined jar burials) to the wild coastline of southeastern Mindanao. He paid his dues to gain great depth of knowledge of the Philippines and build strong social and academic relationships. He served Beyer first as a UP Museum of Anthropology Museum Preparator (1947–1949) and then as Research Associate (1950–1954). Bill’s work in 1950–1951 saw him gaining an understanding of ceramics and sites that became emblematic of his work: Calatagan in Batangas and Kalanay in Masbate—the names of these sites still ring loudly in Philippinists’ ears.

According to his vitae, Bill taught at the University of the East, took an M.A. in History at the American School, and was a Provincial Public Affairs Officer for the U.S. Information Service. Fred Eggan of the Philippine Studies Program at the University of Chicago then pushed him to attend graduate school at the University of Arizona. He took a fellowship there and thus proceeded on his path to a university career. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Department of Anthropology, which at the time was dominated by the eminent Emil Haury, the grand man...