WDO has been around for quite some time. Over the years, a considerable amount of historical records have been preserved. This page provides a quick summary of the early years of WDO.
Founding of WDO
The Interfaculty Ethnological Association WDO was established in Leiden on November 5, 1928. WDO was founded by graduate students of J.P.B. de Josselin de Jong. He was a professor of ethnology at Leiden University from 1922 to 1956. Nowadays, we refer to ethnology as ‘’cultural anthropology’’. This renaming took place in 1953, due to a change in terminology that was introduced by Franz Boas.
The students of J.P.B. de Josselin de Jong wanted to expand conversations on ethnological subjects outside of the lecture halls. Thus, WDO was founded. This new debating club gave ethnology students the opportunity to discuss scholarly topics in an informal environment. The meetings took place on a monthly basis and were usually hosted in student homes, restaurants or other public spaces. The lectures or discussion materials were provided by the student-members or by invited guests, such as university professors.
Because of World War II, almost all original records of WDO have been lost. However, the names of the founders and the first members have been preserved: J. van Baal, J.F.E. Einaar, H.J. Friedricy, K.W. Galis, G.J. Held, G.W. Locher, H. Luttig, C. Nooteboom, and F.A.E. van Wouden. Most of them wrote a PhD thesis under the supervision of J.P.B de Josselin de Jong. They later took up important positions in anthropology in ethnographical museums or at universities in the Netherlands, Indonesia or Suriname.
After the second World war, a new generation of ethnology students restyled WDO and invented numerous traditions. They introduced the mockhospitium, an introductory speech by new members on an anthropological subject chosen by the board. The new generation also invented the dispuutsgeest (spirit of the association), who often visited the meetings. The names of this new group of members are better preserved. This can also be ascribed to the fact that the members in general wrote their PhD’s under the supervision of, again, J.P.B. de Josselin de Jong. The names are as follows: A.A. Gerbrands, P.E. de Josselin de Jong, R. Needham, E. Postel-Coster, J. Pouwer, G.D. van Wengen, A.A. Trouwborst, J.W. Schoorl, R.S. Wassing, J.B. Avé, R.T. Zuidema, and R.A.J. Buve.
What’s in the name?
As you might have noticed, the acronym ‘’WDO’’ stands for, well, what exactly? The acronym was first discovered engraved in a chairman’s gavel. This gavel was a gift for the first board of the association. As was stated before, most of the records of WDO before World War II have gone missing. Therefore, the initial meaning of ‘’WDO’’ will remain a mystery.
In the first five years since the founding of WDO, students from other disciplines could become a member as well, provided that they were following courses in ethnology (Eyk: 1933). This explains the ‘’interfaculty’’ part in WDO’s name. Over the years, this interfaculty character of WDO meetings has faded, due to the fact that only anthropology students could become a member. In 2020, WDO board 92 had decided to bring this interdisciplinary spirit back. From then on, WDO allowed scholars from all faculties to enrol as a member.
WDO today
Just as in 1928, members of WDO are meeting up on a monthly basis to discuss anthropological themes. Looking back, it seems that the essence of the association remained the same. Of course, we have to acknowledge the many inevitable changes through the years. The prestigious reputation of WDO has shifted to a more informal and easy-going one. New traditions have made their entrance such as the Wulavogelveldwerkavond. During this night, students will exchange stories of their fieldwork experiences.
The need for an overarching society for anthropology students resulted in the founding of Itiwana in 1993. A big structural change involved WDO becoming a section of study association Itiwana. From then on, WDO and Itiwana have worked together closely. This expresses itself in the fact that members of Itiwana automatically become members of WDO.
References
Eyk, Bas van
1933 Bij ‘t 5-jarig bestaan van ‘t Leidsch Ethnologisch Dispuut W.D.O. (5 Nov. 1928 – 5 Nov. 1933). Leiden. Stencilled, 3 pp. Bijlage I: Lezingen (gehouden tussen) 1928-1933, 3 pp. Bijlage II: Leden van ‘t Ethnologisch dispuut 1928-1933, 1 p.
Vermeulen, Han F.
2003 A History of WDO. ICA: Instituut Culturele Antropologie.
WDO Leiden 