Hyman, Herbert Hiram, 1918-

Herbert H. Hyman was born in New York City on March 3, 1918.

Hyman received all of his degrees from Columbia University. He completed a bachelor's degree in 1939, a master's in 1940, and a PhD. in Social Psychology in 1942. During World War II, Hyman worked for the United States Government. At first, he worked as a Social Science Analyst for the Division of Program Surveys in the Department of Agriculture. From 1942-1944, he worked as a Public Opinion Analyst in the Surveys Division of the Officer of War Information. From 1942-1946, he was involved in the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey of Germany and the Bombing Survey of Japan, and in 1947, he was a member of the Expert Mission on Public Opinion and Sociological Research, Army of Occupation, Japan.

In 1947, Hyman became a Senior Project Director at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC). He joined the faculty of Columbia University as an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology in 1951, although he continued to work part-time at NORC until 1957. While at Columbia, Hyman chaired the Sociology Department (1965-1969) and served as the Associate Director for the University's Bureau of Applied Research (1957-1969). He also served as the Program Director for the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development in Geneva (1964-1965). From 1969 until his retirement, he was a professor of sociology at Wesleyan University. During his career, Hyman also held visiting professorships and lectureships at several institutions, including the Universities of California at Berkeley, Oslo, Ankara, Turin and Milan, Catania and Turin, Temple University, and MIT.

Hyman was the author of four books on public opinion polling, and is credited with helping to advance the science of polling. He is well-known as a survey researcher, and had strong interests in education, socialization, and attitude change. But as David Sills notes in his review of Surveying Social Research: Papers in Honor of Herbert H. Hyman, Hyman did not see survey work as a purely technical exercise. He felt that survey work was "both a method for obtaining information needed by policy makers and scholars and a form of ethnography - a way of enabling people to reveal their culture and their feelings to a researcher."

Hyman married Helen Kandel, a freelance writer, in 1945. The couple had two sons, Alex and David, and a daughter, Lisa. Hyman died in China after suffering a heart attack in December 1985. He had traveled to the country to speak at a conference on "Uses of Sociology in Developing Countries" at Zhongshan University.

From the description of Herbert H. Hyman papers, 1942-1985. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 426032587

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Herbert H. Hyman was born in New York City on March 3, 1918.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Hyman received all of his degrees from Columbia University. He completed a bachelor's degree in 1939, a master's in 1940, and a PhD. in Social Psychology in 1942. During World War II, Hyman worked for the United States Government. At first, he worked as a Social Science Analyst for the Division of Program Surveys in the Department of Agriculture. From 1942-1944, he worked as a Public Opinion Analyst in the Surveys Division of the Officer of War Information. From 1942-1946, he was involved in the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey of Germany and the Bombing Survey of Japan, and in 1947, he was a member of the Expert Mission on Public Opinion and Sociological Research, Army of Occupation, Japan.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED In 1947, Hyman became a Senior Project Director at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC). He joined the faculty of Columbia University as an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology in 1951, although he continued to work part-time at NORC until 1957. While at Columbia, Hyman chaired the Sociology Department (1965-1969) and served as the Associate Director for the University's Bureau of Applied Research (1957-1969). He also served as the Program Director for the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development in Geneva (1964-1965). From 1969 until his retirement, he was a professor of sociology at Wesleyan University. During his career, Hyman also held visiting professorships and lectureships at several institutions, including the Universities of California at Berkeley, Oslo, Ankara, Turin and Milan, Catania and Turin, Temple University, and MIT.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Hyman was the author of four books on public opinion polling, and is credited with helping to advance the science of polling. He is well-known as a survey researcher, and had strong interests in education, socialization, and attitude change. But as David Sills notes in his review of Surveying Social Research: Papers in Honor of Herbert H. Hyman, Hyman did not see survey work as a purely technical exercise. He felt that survey work was “both a method for obtaining information needed by policy makers and scholars and a form of ethnography - a way of enabling people to reveal their culture and their feelings to a researcher.”

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Hyman married Helen Kandel, a freelance writer, in 1945. The couple had two sons, Alex and David, and a daughter, Lisa. Hyman died in China after suffering a heart attack in December 1985. He had traveled to the country to speak at a conference on “Uses of Sociology in Developing Countries” at Zhongshan University.

From the guide to the Herbert H. Hyman Papers, 1942-1985., (Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library)