Albion Woodbury Small facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Albion Woodbury Small
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| 10th President of Colby College | |
| In office 1889–1892 |
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| Preceded by | George Dana Boardman Pepper |
| Succeeded by | Beniah Longley Whitman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 11, 1854 Buckfield, Maine |
| Died | February 12, 1926 (aged 71) Chicago, Illinois |
| Alma mater | Colby College, 1876 |
| Profession | Sociologist |
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Albion Woodbury Small (born May 11, 1854 – died March 24, 1926) was a very important American sociologist. He is famous for starting the first ever independent Department of Sociology in the United States. This happened at the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, in 1892. He played a big role in making sociology a respected field of study in universities.
About Albion Small
Albion Woodbury Small was born in Buckfield, Maine. His parents were Reverend Albion Keith Parris Small and Thankful Lincoln Woodbury. He grew up in Bangor, Maine, and later in Portland, Maine. He went to public schools in both cities.
He attended Colby University, which is now called Colby College. He studied there from 1872 until he graduated in 1876. After that, he studied theology (the study of religious beliefs) from 1876 to 1879. This was at the Andover Newton Theological School.
From 1879 to 1881, he traveled to Germany. There, he studied at the University of Leipzig and the University of Berlin. He focused on history, social economics (how society and money work together), and politics. While in Germany, he got married to Valeria von Massow in June 1881. They had one child together.
Later, from 1888 to 1889, he studied history at Johns Hopkins University. This university is in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1889, he earned his Ph.D. degree. This is a very high academic degree. His special paper was called The Beginnings of American Nationality. At the same time, he was also teaching at Colby College. From 1889 to 1892, he became the 10th President of Colby College.
In 1892, he started the first Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago. He led this department for more than 30 years. In 1894, he worked with George E. Vincent to publish the first textbook in sociology. It was called An Introduction to the Study of Society. In 1895, he also started the American Journal of Sociology. This was the first sociology journal in the U.S. From 1905 to 1925, he was the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Literature at the University of Chicago.
Albion Woodbury Small was also a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. This is a social group for college students.
Why Albion Small Was Important for Sociology
Albion Small is known for many "firsts" in the field of sociology. Sociology is the study of how people live together in groups.
- In 1892, he helped create the first ever sociology department in the United States. This was at the University of Chicago.
- Then, in 1894, he wrote the first sociology textbook. He wrote it with his friend George E. Vincent. The book was titled An Introduction to the Study of Society.
- Finally, in 1895, he started the first sociology journal in the United States. It was called the American Journal of Sociology.
These achievements helped make sociology a recognized and important subject to study in universities.
Books by Albion Small
- 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)
