Mack, Raymond W.

Raymond W. Mack was born on July 15, 1927 in Ashtabula, Ohio. Raymond W. Mack began his career at Northwestern as an assistant professor of sociology in 1953. After becoming a full professor in 1962 he also became founding director of Northwestern's new Center for Urban Affairs from 1968-1971, then left teaching to become Vice President and Dean of Faculties from 1971-1974. The role of the Dean of Faculties was to supervise programs and personnel of schools and departments (not including the medical and dental schools). In 1974 he was named Provost, succeeding Payson Wild, who had been the first to hold the position of Provost. At this time the position of Dean of Faculties was eliminated, and the job of overseeing the university's schools and departments was incorporated into Mack's expanded administrative role as Provost. In 1987 Mack returned to teaching and research, which he continued until his retirement in 1992.

Mack received an A.B. degree from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio in 1949. Mack took his M.A. (1951) and his Ph.D. (1953) from the University of North Carolina. He taught briefly at the University of Mississippi before joining the faculty of Northwestern.

Mack wrote numerous articles and reviews for professional journals, especially on topics relating to social class, race relations, industrial conflict, and occupational specialization. He also wrote, co-authored, or edited several books: Sociology and Social Life (with Kimball Young, 1959), Principles of Sociology: A Reader in Theory and Research (also with Kimball Young, 1960), Race, Class and Power (1963), and Social Change in Developing Areas (1965).

As Dean of Faculties and as Provost, Mack was involved with many different areas and issues at the university. He oversaw the creation or early development of a number of new academic centers and programs on campus, including the Program on Women, the Center for Probability and Statistics and the Center for the Study of US-Japan Relations. Another academic achievement during Mack's tenure was the extensive work done to establish a comprehensive course and teacher evaluation system. He also helped organize the Council on the Arts and was involved in the establishment of the Mary and Leigh Block Gallery (now the Block Museum.) Mack was present for the creation of the Department of Minority Student Affairs, later renamed African-American Student Affairs, and, along similar lines, was involved in the university's efforts to implement an affirmative action hiring plan. The Faculty Associates Program was another effort which Mack saw through its early years.

As well as working with centers, students and employees, Mack was also involved in fiscal matters. Of note is his participation in seeing Northwestern through the financial difficulties the university faced in the late 70s and early 80s. Simultaneously, Mack, President Robert Strotz (1970-1985) and the rest of the administration were attempting to enhance the academic profile of Northwestern; Mack is credited with maintaining continual improvement in academic quality even during times of financial hardship.

Outside of academia, Mack served as consultant to the United States Air Force Air Research and Development Command and to the Cooperative League of the United States. He was a guest lecturer for the American Telephone and Telegraph Company's Advanced Management Seminars and for the Foreign Service Institute of the State Department. He was a Fellow and served on several committees of the American Sociological Association, including its Research Committee and Committee on Organizational Relationships. Mack was chairman of the Intergroup Relations Section of the Society for the Study of Social Problems and National First Vice-President of Alpha Kappa Delta, the sociology honorary society.

Mack was married to the former Ann Hunter and had three daughters.

From the guide to the Records of the Vice President and Dean of Faculties and Provost, Raymond W. Mack, 1958-1986, (Northwestern University Archives)

Raymond W. Mack was born on July 15, 1927 in Ashtabula, Ohio. Raymond W. Mack began his career at Northwestern as an assistant professor of sociology in 1953. After becoming a full professor in 1962 he also became founding director of Northwestern's new Center for Urban Affairs from 1968-1971, then left teaching to become Vice President and Dean of Faculties from 1971-1974. The role of the Dean of Faculties was to supervise programs and personnel of schools and departments (not including the medical and dental schools). In 1974 he was named Provost, succeeding Payson Wild, who had been the first to hold the position of Provost. At this time the position of Dean of Faculties was eliminated, and the job of overseeing the university's schools and departments was incorporated into Mack's expanded administrative role as Provost. In 1987 Mack returned to teaching and research, which he continued until his retirement in 1992.

Mack received an A.B. degree from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio in 1949. Mack took his M.A. (1951) and his Ph.D. (1953) from the University of North Carolina. He taught briefly at the University of Mississippi before joining the faculty of Northwestern.

Mack wrote numerous articles and reviews for professional journals, especially on topics relating to social class, race relations, industrial conflict, and occupational specialization. He also wrote, co-authored, or edited several books: Sociology and Social Life (with Kimball Young, 1959), Principles of Sociology: A Reader in Theory and Research (also with Kimball Young, 1960), Race, Class and Power (1963), and Social Change in Developing Areas (1965).

As Dean of Faculties and as Provost, Mack was involved with many different areas and issues at the university. He oversaw the creation or early development of a number of new academic centers and programs on campus, including the Program on Women, the Center for Probability and Statistics and the Center for the Study of US-Japan Relations. Another academic achievement during Mack's tenure was the extensive work done to establish a comprehensive course and teacher evaluation system. He also helped organize the Council on the Arts and was involved in the establishment of the Mary and Leigh Block Gallery (now the Block Museum.) Mack was present for the creation of the Department of Minority Student Affairs, later renamed African-American Student Affairs, and, along similar lines, was involved in the university's efforts to implement an affirmative action hiring plan. The Faculty Associates Program was another effort which Mack saw through its early years.

As well as working with centers, students and employees, Mack was also involved in fiscal matters. Of note is his participation in seeing Northwestern through the financial difficulties the university faced in the late 70s and early 80s. Simultaneously, Mack, President Robert Strotz (1970-1985) and the rest of the administration were attempting to enhance the academic profile of Northwestern; Mack is credited with maintaining continual improvement in academic quality even during times of financial hardship.

Outside of academia, Mack served as consultant to the United States Air Force Air Research and Development Command and to the Cooperative League of the United States. He was a guest lecturer for the American Telephone and Telegraph Company's Advanced Management Seminars and for the Foreign Service Institute of the State Department. He was a Fellow and served on several committees of the American Sociological Association, including its Research Committee and Committee on Organizational Relationships. Mack was chairman of the Intergroup Relations Section of the Society for the Study of Social Problems and National First Vice-President of Alpha Kappa Delta, the sociology honorary society.

Mack was married to the former Ann Hunter and had three daughters.

From the guide to the Raymond W. Mack (1927-) Papers, 1951-1995, (Northwestern University Archives)