Marina de Vasconcellos was one of the pioneers of social sciences in Brazil, being the first professional female anthropologist, dating back to the 1940s. She began her career affiliated with Arthur Ramos, whom she served as an assistant professor before eventually succeeding him. Having pursued her education prior to the establishment of graduate programs, Marina de Vasconcelos transitioned from history to anthropology through an advanced course, where she defended a thesis. In this work, I examine Marina de Vasconcelos' contributions to Brazilian anthropology, with emphasis on her institutional involvement, highlighting her role in the process of institutionalizing this science in Brazil. Notable in this regard is her role as a professor of Anthropology at the University of Brazil (later the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), as well as in the early years of the founding of the Brazilian Association of Anthropology. Our sources will include the Arthur Ramos Archive at the National Library and the Mariana São Paulo de Vasconcellos Collection at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.