Edward A. Ross
Encyclopedia
Edward Alsworth Ross was a progressive
American
sociologist, eugenicist, and major figure of early criminology
.
and Johns Hopkins University
, where he majored in economics. Ross received his Ph.D. in political economy in 1891 with minors in philosophy and ethics.
Ross was a professor at Indiana University
(1891-1892), secretary of the American Economic Association
(1892), professor at Cornell University
(1892-1893), and professor at Stanford University
(1893-1900).
Ross was forced from Stanford because of political views. Indeed, he objected to Chinese immigrant labour (on both economic and racial grounds - he was an early supporter of the "Race Suicide" doctrine, and expressed his hatred of other races in strong and crude language in public speeches). This position was at odds with the university's founding family, the Stanfords, who had made their fortune in Western rail construction - a major employer of Chinese laborers. Ross had also made critical remarks about the railroad industry in his classes, saying "A railroad deal is a railroad steal." This was too much for Leland Stanford's widow
, who was on the board of trustees of the university. Numerous professors at Stanford resigned after protests of his dismissal, sparking "a national debate ... concerning the freedom of expression and control of universities by private interests". The founding of the American Association of University Professors
was largely the result of this incident. Ross left for the University of Nebraska, and later held the position of Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. India's legendary freedom fighter and post-independence leader, Jaiprakash Narayan was his student here.
Ross' understanding of Americanization
and assimilation bore a striking resemblance to that of another Wisconsin professor, Frederick Jackson Turner
. Like Turner, Ross believed that American identity was forged in the crucible of the wilderness. The 1890 census' proclamation that the frontier had disappeared, then, posed a significant threat to America's ability to assimilate the mass of immigrants who were arriving from Southern and Eastern Europe. In 1897, just four years after Turner had presented his frontier thesis to the American Historical Association
, Ross, still a professor at Stanford, argued that the loss of the frontier destroyed the machinery of the melting pot process.
Ross supported the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, even as he acknowledged its bloody origins, and was a member of the Dewey Commission
, which cleared Trotsky
of all charges made during the Moscow Trials
.
Progressivism in the United States
Progressivism in the United States is a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sociologist, eugenicist, and major figure of early criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
.
Biography
Edward A. Ross attended numerous colleges, including Coe CollegeCoe College
Coe College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1851, the institution is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . Its current president is James R. Phifer. It is one of the smaller universities to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa...
and Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, where he majored in economics. Ross received his Ph.D. in political economy in 1891 with minors in philosophy and ethics.
Ross was a professor at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
(1891-1892), secretary of the American Economic Association
American Economic Association
The American Economic Association, or AEA, is a learned society in the field of economics, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. It publishes one of the most prestigious academic journals in economics: the American Economic Review...
(1892), professor at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
(1892-1893), and professor at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
(1893-1900).
Ross was forced from Stanford because of political views. Indeed, he objected to Chinese immigrant labour (on both economic and racial grounds - he was an early supporter of the "Race Suicide" doctrine, and expressed his hatred of other races in strong and crude language in public speeches). This position was at odds with the university's founding family, the Stanfords, who had made their fortune in Western rail construction - a major employer of Chinese laborers. Ross had also made critical remarks about the railroad industry in his classes, saying "A railroad deal is a railroad steal." This was too much for Leland Stanford's widow
Jane Stanford
Jane Stanford was the co-founder of Stanford University with her husband, Leland Stanford, whom she wed in 1850. She was the daughter of a shopkeeper and lived on Washington Avenue in Albany, New York, before her marriage...
, who was on the board of trustees of the university. Numerous professors at Stanford resigned after protests of his dismissal, sparking "a national debate ... concerning the freedom of expression and control of universities by private interests". The founding of the American Association of University Professors
American Association of University Professors
The American Association of University Professors is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership is about 47,000, with over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations...
was largely the result of this incident. Ross left for the University of Nebraska, and later held the position of Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. India's legendary freedom fighter and post-independence leader, Jaiprakash Narayan was his student here.
Ross' understanding of Americanization
Americanization (disambiguation)
Americanization is the term used for the influence the United States of America has on the culture of other countries.It can also mean:...
and assimilation bore a striking resemblance to that of another Wisconsin professor, Frederick Jackson Turner
Frederick Jackson Turner
Frederick Jackson Turner was an American historian in the early 20th century. He is best known for his essay "The Significance of the Frontier in American History", whose ideas are referred to as the Frontier Thesis. He is also known for his theories of geographical sectionalism...
. Like Turner, Ross believed that American identity was forged in the crucible of the wilderness. The 1890 census' proclamation that the frontier had disappeared, then, posed a significant threat to America's ability to assimilate the mass of immigrants who were arriving from Southern and Eastern Europe. In 1897, just four years after Turner had presented his frontier thesis to the American Historical Association
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association is the oldest and largest society of historians and professors of history in the United States. Founded in 1884, the association promotes historical studies, the teaching of history, and the preservation of and access to historical materials...
, Ross, still a professor at Stanford, argued that the loss of the frontier destroyed the machinery of the melting pot process.
Ross supported the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, even as he acknowledged its bloody origins, and was a member of the Dewey Commission
Dewey Commission
The Dewey Commission was initiated in March 1937 by the "American Committee for the Defense of Leon Trotsky." It was named after its Chairman, John Dewey...
, which cleared Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
of all charges made during the Moscow Trials
Moscow Trials
The Moscow Trials were a series of show trials conducted in the Soviet Union and orchestrated by Joseph Stalin during the Great Purge of the 1930s. The victims included most of the surviving Old Bolsheviks, as well as the leadership of the Soviet secret police...
.
Works
- Social Control (1901)
- Sin and Society (1907)
- Social Psychology (1908)
- The Changing Chinese (1911)
- Changing America (1912)
- The Old World in the New: The Significance of Past and Present Immigration to the American People (1914)
- Italians In America (1914)
- The Principles of Sociology (1920)
- The Russian Bolshevik Revolution (1921)
- The Social Trend (1922)
- The Russian Soviet Republic (1923)
- Standing room only? (1927)