Howard W. Odum
Encyclopedia
Howard Washington Odum (May 24, 1884 near Bethlehem, Georgia
– November 8, 1954 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
) was an American sociologist.
and received his first doctorate, in psychology, at Clark University
. He received his second doctorate, in sociology, at Columbia University
. While at Columbia, he studied with Giddings, focusing on race. He went on to serve as Assistant Director of Research for President Herbert Hoover
's Research Committee on Social Trends, wrote three novels and over 20 scholarly texts, was President of the American Sociological Association
in 1930, and was also founding member of the Southern Regional Council. Odum was known for collecting facts, ranging from oral history (including documentation of folk songs) to agricultural data. His publication 'Southern Regions of the United States' pulls together just about every fact and figure known about the Southeast when it was published in 1936. This text, used by government administrators, farmers, scholars, and others, remains relevant today as a historical text. Odum's prolific contribution to the social sciences has been an influence on multiple disciplines, including ecology. Both of his sons, Eugene and Howard T. Odum, were internationally recognized scholars of ecology. The Odum brothers frequently cited their father's holistic inquiry as an important influence in their own understanding of emergent properties and other ecological concepts.
Odum became a faculty member in the School of Public Welfare (a precursor of the School of Social Work
) and Department of Sociology
at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
in 1920. He also was a visionary in establishing the University of North Carolina Press. While at Chapel Hill, Odum founded the journal Social Forces
in 1922 and the H.W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science in 1924. Odum was one of the most prolific influences on the early development of the University of North Carolina, acting as a visionary and scholar who attracted other scholars to campus. This includes the university's first female faculty member whom Odum hired and collaborated with. Odum's productivity was infamous and his scholarship bridged from academic settings to the community--including influences on race relations in the American South. His book 'Race and Rumors of Race' is considered to be the earliest documentation of the civil rights movement. Odum's views on race progressed over time and ultimately he was a progressive leader, documenting folk life, hate crimes/lynchings, and rich oral histories of the South. His work is difficult to classify under one discipline, although he identified most with sociology while being deeply committed to social welfare. This was exemplified by his founding of the University of North Carolina School of Public Welfare, one of the earliest such schools in the Southeast.
Bethlehem, Georgia
Bethlehem is a town in Barrow County, Georgia, United States. The population was 716 at the 2000 census. Bethlehem has a school system with 8 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 2 high schools, an alternative school, and a performance learning center....
– November 8, 1954 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
) was an American sociologist.
Biography
He graduated from Emory UniversityEmory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
and received his first doctorate, in psychology, at Clark University
Clark University
Clark University is a private research university and liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts.Founded in 1887, it is the oldest educational institution founded as an all-graduate university. Clark now also educates undergraduates...
. He received his second doctorate, in sociology, at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. While at Columbia, he studied with Giddings, focusing on race. He went on to serve as Assistant Director of Research for President Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
's Research Committee on Social Trends, wrote three novels and over 20 scholarly texts, was President of the American Sociological Association
American Sociological Association
The American Sociological Association , founded in 1905 as the American Sociological Society , is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the discipline and profession of sociology by serving sociologists in their work and promoting their contributions to serve society.The ASA holds its...
in 1930, and was also founding member of the Southern Regional Council. Odum was known for collecting facts, ranging from oral history (including documentation of folk songs) to agricultural data. His publication 'Southern Regions of the United States' pulls together just about every fact and figure known about the Southeast when it was published in 1936. This text, used by government administrators, farmers, scholars, and others, remains relevant today as a historical text. Odum's prolific contribution to the social sciences has been an influence on multiple disciplines, including ecology. Both of his sons, Eugene and Howard T. Odum, were internationally recognized scholars of ecology. The Odum brothers frequently cited their father's holistic inquiry as an important influence in their own understanding of emergent properties and other ecological concepts.
Odum became a faculty member in the School of Public Welfare (a precursor of the School of Social Work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
) and Department of Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
in 1920. He also was a visionary in establishing the University of North Carolina Press. While at Chapel Hill, Odum founded the journal Social Forces
Social Forces
Social Forces is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal of social science published by the University of North Carolina Press...
in 1922 and the H.W. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science in 1924. Odum was one of the most prolific influences on the early development of the University of North Carolina, acting as a visionary and scholar who attracted other scholars to campus. This includes the university's first female faculty member whom Odum hired and collaborated with. Odum's productivity was infamous and his scholarship bridged from academic settings to the community--including influences on race relations in the American South. His book 'Race and Rumors of Race' is considered to be the earliest documentation of the civil rights movement. Odum's views on race progressed over time and ultimately he was a progressive leader, documenting folk life, hate crimes/lynchings, and rich oral histories of the South. His work is difficult to classify under one discipline, although he identified most with sociology while being deeply committed to social welfare. This was exemplified by his founding of the University of North Carolina School of Public Welfare, one of the earliest such schools in the Southeast.
External links
- Inventory of the Howard Washington Odum Papers, 1908-1982, in the Southern Historical CollectionSouthern Historical CollectionThe Southern Historical Collection is a repository of distinct archival collections at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which document the culture and history of the American South...
, UNC-Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States... - Profile at Encyclopædia Britannica's Guide to Black History