Grover Krantz

Grover Krantz was a physical anthropology professor who holds the distinction of being the first serious academic person to dedicate himself to studying and researching Bigfoot. Krantz was born on November 5, 1931 in Salt Lake City, Utah and grew up in Rockford, Illinois. His family moved back to Utah when he was ten. Grover got a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utah in 1955 and a Master's degree from the University of California in 1958. In 1971 Krantz earned a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. Grover specialized in human evolution. Krantz began his studies in 1963. He theorized that Sasquatch was a descendant of a species of gigantic prehistoric ape known as Gigantopithecus, was a staunch defender of the controversial 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film (which purports to show a real Bigfoot walking in the woods), and advocated the possible shooting and killing of a Bigfoot as a means to an end of proving their existence. Grover taught at the University of Washington from 1968 up until his retirement in 1998. Krantz was interviewed in numerous documentaries about Bigfoot; said films include "Bigfoot: Man or Beast?," "The Mysterious Monsters," and "Sasquatch Odyssey: The Hunt for Bigfoot." Grover Krantz died at age 70 from pancreatic cancer at his home in Port Angeles, Washington on February 14, 2002. His skeleton was donated to the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History.