Lynd, Robert Staughton, 1892-1970

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Sociologist and educator. Married Helen Merrell, also a sociologist.

From the description of Robert Staughton Lynd and Helen Merrell Lynd papers, 1895-1968 (bulk 1922-1968). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71064050

Professor of Sociology at Columbia University.

Lynd was a member of the Consumers' Advisory Board of the National Recovery Administration.

From the description of Robert Staughton Lynd papers, 1933-1937. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 606938250

Biographical Note

Robert Staughton Lynd

  • 1892, Sept. 26: Born, New Albany, Ind.
  • 1914: B.A. Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.
  • 1914 - 1918 : Editor, Publishers' Weekly
  • 1919: Manager, advertising and publicity, Charles Scribner's Sons
  • 1920: Assistant publisher, B. W. Huebsch, Inc., and the Freeman
  • 1921: Married Helen Merrell (died 1982)
  • 1922: Missionary and writer, Elk Basin, Wyo., oil fields
  • 1923: B.D., Union Theological Seminary, New York, N.Y.
  • 1923 - 1926 : Director, Small City Study, Institute of Social and Religious Research
  • 1926 - 1927 : Assistant director, Division of Educational Research, Commonwealth Fund
  • 1927 - 1931 : Assistant to chairman, later permanent secretary, Social Sciences Research Council
  • 1929: Published with Helen Merrell Lynd Middletown, a Study in Contemporary American Culture. New York: Harcourt, Brace
  • 1931: Ph.D., Columbia University, New York, N.Y.
  • 1931 - 1960 : Professor of sociology, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.
  • 1937: Published with Helen Merrell Lynd Middletown in Transition; a Study in Cultural Conflicts. New York: Harcourt, Brace
  • 1939: Published Knowledge for What? The Place of Social Science in American Culture. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press
  • 1970, Nov. 1: Died, New York, N.Y.

Helen Merrell Lynd

  • 1896, Mar. 17: Born, La Grange, Ill.
  • 1919: B.A., Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass.
  • 1921: M.A., Columbia University, New York, N.Y. Married Robert Staughton Lynd (died 1970)
  • 1929: Published with Robert Staughton Lynd Middletown, a Study in Contemporary American Culture. New York: Harcourt, Brace
  • 1929 - 1964 : Engaged in research and writing Lecturer, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y, and Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, N.Y.
  • 1937: Published with Robert Staughton Lynd Middletown in Transition; a Study in Cultural Conflicts. New York: Harcourt, Brace
  • 1944: Ph.D., Columbia University, New York, N.Y.
  • 1945: Published England in the Eighteen-Eighties: Toward a Social Basis for Freedom. New York: Oxford University Press Published Field Work in College Education. New York: Columbia University Press
  • 1958: Published On Shame and the Search for Identity. New York: Harcourt, Brace
  • 1965: Published Toward Discovery. Bronxville, N.Y.: Sarah Lawrence College
  • 1982: Died, Warren, Ohio

From the guide to the Robert Staughton Lynd and Helen Merrell Lynd Papers, 1895-1968, (bulk 1922-1968), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Robert Staughton Lynd was born on September 26, 1892 in New Albany, Indiana. He was a professor of sociology at Columbia University for thirty years (1931-1961.) He married Helen Merrell in September, 1922. They had two children, a son, Staughton, in 1929, and a daughter, Andrea, in 1934.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Lynd is best known for the book, Middletown: A Study in Contemporary American Culture, that he and his wife wrote. The book was based on a landmark study of a typical American community in 1929 from a cultural anthropological standpoint. It was one of the first sociological analyses done in the country of a modern, urban community. The book proved to be a bestseller and was noted for its scientific perspective. Lynd and his wife followed up with a sequel titled, Middletown in Transition in 1937 by returning to the same community to observe the effects of the Great Depression on its people. Known as the Middletown studies, these analyses are still used and referred to by American sociologists.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Lynd died on November 1, 1970 in Warren, CT, at the age of seventy-eight.

From the guide to the Robert Staughton Lynd papers, 1933-1945, [Bulk Dates: 1933-1935]., (Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Lynd, Helen Merrell, 1896-1982. Reminiscences of Helen Merrell Lynd : oral history, 1973. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Lynd, Staughton. Staughton and Alice Lynd papers, 1938-2008. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
creatorOf Lynd, Robert Staughton, 1892-1970. Robert Staughton Lynd papers, 1933-1937. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Institute for Propaganda Analysis. Institute for Propaganda Analysis records, 1937-1968, bulk (1937-1941, 1947-1951). New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Mitchell, Wesley C. (Wesley Clair), 1874-1948. Wesley Clair Mitchell papers, 1898-1953. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Papers, 1904-1980, 1919-1980 (bulk) New York State Historical Documents Inventory
creatorOf Robert Staughton Lynd papers, 1933-1945, [Bulk Dates: 1933-1935]. Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Coss, John J. (John Jacob), 1884-1940. John J.Coss papers, 1908-1952. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Robert Staughton Lynd and Helen Merrell Lynd Papers, 1895-1968, (bulk 1922-1968) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Fosdick, Raymond B. (Raymond Blaine), 1883-1972. Papers, 1919-1936. Rockefeller Archive Center
referencedIn Max Lerner papers, 1927-1998 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn J. B. Matthews Papers, 1862-1986 and undated David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
referencedIn The Nation, records, 1879-1974 (inclusive), 1920-1955 (bulk). Houghton Library
referencedIn Wesley Clair Mitchell Papers, 1898-1953. Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Marshall, Lenore, 1897-1971. Papers, 1887-1980. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn William Ernest Hocking papers Houghton Library
creatorOf Fromm, Erich, 1900-1980. Erich Fromm papers, 1929-1949, bulk (1932-1949). New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Institute for Propaganda Analysis records, 1937-1968, 1937-1941, 1947-1951 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn August Charles Krey Papers, 1887-1961. University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc]
referencedIn The Nation, records, 1879-1974 (inclusive), 1920-1955 (bulk). Houghton Library
referencedIn Yaddo records, 1870-1980 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Harvard Law School Forums Records Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Lerner, Max, 1902-2001. Max Lerner papers, 1927-1992 (inclusive). Yale University Library
referencedIn John Jacob Coss Papers, 1908-1952. Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Papers, 1911-1979. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Matthew Josephson papers Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Erich Fromm papers, 1929-1949, 1932-1949 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Pantheon Books. Records, 1944-1968. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Guy Stanton Ford papers, 1885-1965 University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc]
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
correspondedWith Brinton, Crane, 1898-1968 person
associatedWith Columbia University. corporateBody
associatedWith Coss, John J. (John Jacob), 1884-1940. person
correspondedWith Diamond, Sigmund person
correspondedWith Diamond, Sigmund person
correspondedWith Erikson, Erik H. (Erik Homburger), 1902-1994 person
associatedWith Ford, Guy Stanton. person
associatedWith Fosdick, Raymond B. (Raymond Blaine), 1883-1972. person
associatedWith Fromm, Erich, 1900-1980. person
correspondedWith Harvard Law School Forum corporateBody
correspondedWith Hocking, William Ernest, 1873-1966 person
associatedWith Institute for Propaganda Analysis. corporateBody
associatedWith Josephson, Matthew, 1899-1978. person
associatedWith Krey, August Charles, 1887-1961 person
associatedWith Lerner, Max, 1902- person
associatedWith Lerner, Max, 1902-2001. person
associatedWith Lynd, Helen Merrell, 1896-1982. person
associatedWith Lynd, Staughton. person
associatedWith Lynn family. family
associatedWith Lynn family. family
associatedWith Marshall, Lenore, 1897-1971. person
associatedWith Matthews, J. B. (Joseph Brown), 1894-1966 person
correspondedWith Merton, Robert King, 1910-2003 person
associatedWith Mitchell, Wesley C. (Wesley Clair), 1874-1948. person
associatedWith National Maritime Union of America. corporateBody
correspondedWith Nation (New York, N.Y. : 1865). corporateBody
associatedWith Pantheon Books. corporateBody
correspondedWith Riesman, David, 1909-2002 person
associatedWith Sarah Lawrence College. corporateBody
associatedWith Social Science Research Council (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Tugwell, Rexford G. (Rexford Guy), 1891- person
associatedWith United States. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. National Recovery Administration. Consumers' Advisory Board. corporateBody
associatedWith Yaddo (Artist's colony) corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
New York (State)
Great Britain
United States
Subject
Academic freedom
Universities and colleges
Universities and colleges
Internal security
Social sciences
Sociology
Working class
Working class
Working class
Occupation
College teachers
Educators
Sociologists
Activity

Person

Birth 1892-09-26

Death 1970-11-01

Americans

English

Information

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SNAC ID: 50689941