James F. Downs Papers

James Frances Downs was born in Pasadena, California, in 1923. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War and retired as a Chief Warrant Officer (3) of the United States Naval Reserve. He received a B.A. in Anthropology/Oriental Languages in 1958, an M.A. in Anthropology in 1960, and his Ph.D. in Anthropology in 1962, all from the University of California, Berkeley. He participated in post doctoral studies in Japanese and Chinese.

Downs taught anthropology at the graduate and undergraduate level at a number of major universities; developed training and educational programs for varying audiences, including Naval personnel and dependents, police officers, student nurses, U.S. government civilian personnel, Peace Corps volunteers, and corporate employees involved in international business activities (especially with Japan); and wrote at least eight books and over sixty articles for both academic and popular audiences.

Downs' thesis and dissertation were based on his studies of the Washo and Navajo Indians. Both were published:

Two Worlds of the Washo: An Indian Tribe in California and Nevada. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1966.

The Navajo. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1972.

Throughout his long career, Downs focused on inter-cultural issues and in particular, Japanese-U.S. relations. His academic writings reflect that expertise. He also wrote extensively for periodicals such as Japan Times, Agriculture Today, The NewYork Times, Daily Racing Form, Jockey News, Chronicle of the Horse, and California Thoroughbred. At the time of his death, Downs was researching the history of the horse in Japanese culture and had begun several novels and autobiographical articles.

Dr. Downs traveled, conducted research, and lived in Japan periodically from 1945 to 1992. In January 1992 he moved to Tokyo permanently to manage his international consulting firm, International Bridge, Inc. He was married to Shizuko Downs. James Downs died in Tokyo on June 11, 1999. For more biographical information about Downs, consult his extensive resumes in Series 1 of this collection.