Dr. Charles Rau was born in 1826 in Vervien, Belgium.

He was an archeologist and author. He attended the University of Heidelberg, Germany. In 1848, Rau emigrated to the United States, where he taught foreign languages at schools in Illinois and New York City. While teaching, he conducted anthropological research on aboriginal Americans. He was appointed Resident Collaborator in Ethnology, United States National Museum, in 1875 and was given the responsibility for setting up the Smithsonian Institution's anthropological exhibits at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. From 1875 until his death, Rau was Curator of the Department of Antiquities at the Smithsonian Institution. He wrote articles and books on native Americans and archeology in general, and many of his works were printed in Smithsonian publications. The University of Freiburg, Baden, conferred upon him the degree of Ph.D. in 1882. He was a member of the many archeological and anthropological societies of Europe and America. He bequeathed his library to the U.S. National Museum.

He died on July 25, 1887, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.