1926-
Sociologist and Government Consultant

A Chemist Turns to Schools.

Dr. James S. Coleman, a sociologist with a deep concern for a democratic, pluralistic society, had an early career as a chemical engineer with Eastman-Kodak Company in Rochester, New York, during the early 1950s. However, he became so fascinated with sociology and social problems that he decided to attend Columbia University, where he worked as a research associate with the Bureau of Applied Social Research while earning his doctorate. He first became involved in the study of schooling when, under the auspices of the United States Office of Education in 1957, he and his associates began a detailed sociological study of ten Illinois high schools. They examined both academic and social aspects of these schools, and from their research they published the research monograph, Social Climates in High Schools (1961), and two other academic books which were praised...