Hamilton, C. Horace (Charles Horace), 1901-1977

Educator, rural sociologist, Charles Horace Hamilton (1901-1977) received his B.A. from Southern Methodist in 1923, his M. S. from Texas A & M, and his Ph.D. From the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He was a professor of Rural Sociology (1931-1967) and head of the Rural Sociology Department (1940-1961) at North Carolina State College (later North Carolina State University). Hamilton was the William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor (1961-1971) and received the O. Max Gardner Award (1958) and the Watauga Medal (1977).

From the description of Charles Horace Hamilton papers, 1930-1967 [manuscript] (North Carolina State University). WorldCat record id: 476299429

Charles Horace Hamilton was a rural sociologist with particular interests in rural life, the rural church, the rural family, rural health issues, the land tenure system, farm labor, internal migration, methods of population analysis, and social statistics. After teaching at many institutions, including at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Tex., the University of North Carolina, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Hamilton was appointed professor of rural sociology at North Carolina State University and consulted widely in his field.

From the description of C. Horace Hamilton papers, 1920s-1970s [manuscript]. WorldCat record id: 25814405

From the guide to the C. Horace Hamilton Papers, 1920s-1970s, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.)

Charles Horace Hamilton was born on June 10, 1901 on a farm near Waco, Texas. He received his A.B. degree from Southern Methodist University in 1923, and received a masters degree from Texas A&M in 1925. Hamilton spent a year teaching at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas, followed by a year completing a teaching fellowship at the University of North Carolina. He then researched the rural church at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and completed a Social Science Research Council Fellowship at Harvard University from 1930 to 1931. Hamilton received a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of North Carolina in 1932.

His career with North Carolina State College began in 1931, when he started conducting research and teaching courses in rural sociology. Hamilton returned to Texas A&M in 1936 to teach and research rural sociology. In 1940, he was chosen to head the new Department of Rural Sociology at North Carolina State College, and he served as Professor and Head until 1960.

Hamilton was an extremely active researcher and professor. He conducted research and taught extensively on issues relating to rural people, ranging from population growth and migration to education and health care. He published a number of books, monographs, articles, and reports. He was an active member of a number of professional organizations, including the Population Association of America, the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, and the American Sociological Association's Committee on Marriage and Divorce Statistics. Hamilton twice took leaves of absence of North Carolina State. He spent 15 months during the years of 1945 and 1946 in Chicago conducting studies on the social and economic aspects of hospitals in the United States. He spent the school year of 1959 - 1960 as a visiting professor of Rural Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In 1958, Hamilton received the O. Max Gardner Award. In 1961, he was named a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor. Hamilton continued to teach at State until 1967. After leaving North Carolina State, Hamilton served as Associate Director of the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina, until his retirement in 1971. In 1977, Hamilton was awarded the Watauga Medal, North Carolina State University's highest honor. Hamilton died on August 1, 1977.

From the guide to the Charles Horace Hamilton Papers, 1930 - 1967, (Special Collections Research Center)