Albion Woodbury Small (May 11, 1854 – March 24, 1926) founded the first independent department of

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

in the United States at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Illinois, in 1892. He was influential in the establishment of sociology as a valid field of academic study.

Biography

Albion Woodbury Small was born in Buckfield, Maine, to parents Reverend Albion Keith Parris Small and Thankful Lincoln Woodbury. His ancestors settled in Maine in 1632. He lived in

Bangor, Maine Bangor ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's List of municipalities in Maine, third-most populous city, behind Portland, Maine, Portland ...

, and then

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

, where he attended public schools in both places. He attended Colby University, now known as

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine, United States. Founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, it was renamed Waterville College in 1821. The donations of Christian philanthropist Gardner ...

, from 1872 until he graduated in 1876. He studied

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

from 1876 to 1879 at the Andover Newton Theological School. From 1879 to 1881 he studied at the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

and the

University of Berlin The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humbol ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

social economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyse ...

and

politics Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...

. While in Germany, he married Valeria von Massow in June 1881, with whom he had one child. In the fall of 1881, he became chair of history and political economy at Colby College. From 1888 to 1889 he studied history at the

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, and was promoted in 1889 with a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

thesis (''The Beginnings of American Nationality'') at the same time continuing to teach at

. From 1889 to 1892 he was the 10th president of Colby. In 1892 he founded the first department of sociology at the University of Chicago. He chaired this department for over 30 years. In 1894 he, along with George E. Vincent, published the first textbook in sociology: An introduction to the study of society. In 1895 he established the

American Journal of Sociology The ''American Journal of Sociology'' is a peer-reviewed bi-monthly academic journal that publishes original research and book reviews in the field of sociology and related social sciences. It was founded in 1895 as the first journal in its disci ...

. From 1905 to 1925 he served as Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Literature at the University of Chicago. Albion Woodbury Small was a member of the

Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest Fraternities and sororities, fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active Colony (fraternity or sorority), colonies across No ...

fraternity (Xi chapter).

Influence on sociology

Albion Small can be attributed with many "firsts" in the field of sociology. In 1892, he helped to create a department of social science at the University of Chicago, which was the first-ever sociology department in the United States. Then, in 1894, along with colleague George E. Vincent, he wrote the first sociology textbook titled ''An Introduction to the Study of Society.'' Lastly, he founded the first Sociology Journal in the United States in 1895, the ''American Journal of Sociology.''

Works

* ''An Introduction to the Study of Society'' (1894) * ''General Sociology'' (1905) * ''Adam Smith and Modern Sociology'' (1907) * ''The Cameralists'' (1909) * ''The Meaning of the Social Sciences'' (1910) * ''Between Eras: From Capitalism to Democracy'' (1913) * ''Origins of Sociology'' (1921)

References

External links

Guide to the Albion W. Small Papers 1904-1924
at th
University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Small, Albion Woodbury 1854 births 1926 deaths American sociologists Colby College faculty Johns Hopkins University alumni People from Bangor, Maine Presidents of the American Sociological Association Presidents of Colby College People from Buckfield, Maine American Journal of Sociology editors

Biography

Influence on sociology

Works

See also

References

Further reading

External links