Reinhardt, James Melvin, 1895-

James M. Reinhardt served as a professor of Sociology at the University of Nebraska from 1931-1963, instructing students in criminology and sociology. He was born on 5 October 1895 in Dalton, Georgia. Orphaned at age three, Reinhardt lived with his grandfather. Instead of attending school, he spent most of his young life working, mainly in cotton mills. During World War I, Reinhardt served as a private in the infantry. After the war he went back to school and received his high school diploma at age 22. He then enrolled as an undergraduate at Berea College in Kentucky and graduated in 1923. Reinhardt received his Master of Arts in 1925 and Doctorate of Philosophy in 1929, both from the University of North Dakota. He married Cora Lee Cook in 1922 and had one daughter. He died on 23 April 1974.

During his career, Reinhardt published many books and articles about sociology and criminology, including The Murderous Trail of Charles Starkweather, The Psychology of Strange Killers, and Principles and Methods of Sociology. Reinhardt served as a visiting faculty member at the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy in Washington, D. C. He received several awards, such as the Distinguished Citizen award, admiralty in the Nebraska Navy, and induction into the national Police Hall of Fame. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Sociology grants the James M. Reinhardt Award to graduate student research in criminology.