A leading scholar of European prehistory during his time, Huge Obermaier made important contributions to the foundation of the ASPR through his friendship with George MacCurdy. In 1912, the two visited prehistoric caves in Spain, sparking MacCurdy’s interest in old world prehistory, which later inspired him to establish the American School of Prehistoric Research. Dr. Obermaier was a professor at the Institut de Paléontologie humaine in Paris, and he also excavated in Spain and Switzerland before his death during WWII.