Wimberley, Ronald C.

The North Carolina Sociological Association (NCSA) was founded in 1970 to promote the welfare and advancement of the profession in the state. Towards that end, the association seeks to encourage cooperative relationships among sociologists in both academic and applied settings, and to stimulate and improve research, teaching, and discussion of sociology. Annual meetings of the NCSA provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and the discussion of issues affecting the profession. Every year the association gives an Award for Contributions to Sociology and the Joseph S. Himes Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Paper.

Dr. Ronald C. Wimberley was born in 1943 and died on July 26, 2011. He was the William Neal Reynolds professor of sociology and a member of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty for 40 years at N.C. State University.

In 1971, Dr. Wimberley joined the N.C. State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, faculty as an instructor and in 1972 he was named assistant professor. Also, in 1972, he earned his doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee. He served as head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at N.C. State University from 1981 to 1985 and was named a William Neal Reynolds professor in 1996.

Dr. Wimberley was well known for his 1997 book, titled "The Southern Black Belt: A National Perspective" that researched and described the sociological factors that impacted living conditions in the 11-state rural Black Belt South.

In April 2011, the Southern Sociological Society named Dr. Wimberley as the 2011-2012 winner of their Roll of Honor Award, the highest recognition given by the society.