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~ A Tradition of Innovation and Growth - And it's Not Over Yet! ~

You may click on recent faculty members' pictures
to learn about their educational backgrounds or on their
name in the text to read brief autobiographical statements.

~ The Departmental Disciplines ~

Today (February, 2005), the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology offers a wide range of social science courses in two primary disciplines - sociology and anthropology. Among other things, sociology is the study and classification of human societies. Sociologists study social relations between people, people and groups, and between groups.

Other areas of sociological investigation include culture, social institutions (i.e., the family, economy, faith/religion, the criminal justice system, education, health care, the media), and social structures. The impact of the individual upon society and society's impact on the individual are also topics of great interest in sociology. (Source: American Sociological Association) The social variables upon which sociologists focus include age, social class, gender, and race/ethnicity.

As of this writing, there are three academic programs of study in the department: Anthropology, Sociology, and Criminology. Anthropology is the study of origins of human beings and their cultures worldwide. In addition to documenting a particular culture, anthropologists are interested in how and why human culture changes. The science of anthropology is divided into several subfields including physical anthropology, the study of the origins and development of human beings; cultural anthropology, the study of human culture or the means by which human beings sustain life; linguistics, the study of human language; and archaeology, the study of human life based primarily on the recovery of artifacts, objects made and/or used by human beings.

The study of Criminology includes, but is not limited to, an investigation into the nature crime and criminality and the justice system created to address the many issues surrounding such behavior in a societal context. The discipline which most informs the Criminology program is sociology, although other disciplines (i.e., psychology, history, economics, etc.) play a role in reaching a more complete understanding of the justice system, the phenomenon of crime, and other related issues.

~ The Nature of the Times ~

The creation of what we know today as the Missouri State Department of Sociology and Anthropology did not take place in a void. As American society faced the early phases of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1800s, significant changes were taking place. We were changing from a primarily rural, agricultural, and family-centered society to one that was urban, industrialized, and work-centered - and the transition is not yet over.

Accompanying shifts in our social institutions were significant as families became smaller, fathers left their farms and homes for the urban workplace, and schooling became a public endeavor rather than a private one. Increasing urbanization, mixed with the influx of immigrants from around the world, set the stage for potential social conflict and numerous personal adjustments which had to be made. It was amidst these changes that the sociological study of human societies began to flourish in Western Europe and, not too much later in the United States, departments like ours began to take root.

~ The Formative Years ~

According to Undergraduate Catalogs of yesteryear, the first time a sociology course was offered at Missouri State was in 1913, in the university's Education Department. The title of the course was "Educational Sociology." Only seven years before, three African-American residents of Springfield, Missouri, were hung in the town's Park Central Square - only a half-mile from the Missouri State campus. "At the center of the Square on Easter weekend 1906, three innocent men: Will Allen, Fred Coker and Horace Duncan were lynched, burned and dismembered, leading to the exodus of many black residents from Springfield." (Source)

In 1917, the residents of East St. Louis (IL) experienced a race riot, raising public concern and, possibly, student awareness regarding matters of race and social class. It has been estimated that there were as many as 18 race riots between 1915 and 1919 in the United States. (Source)  In addition, large numbers of African-Americans living in or near southern American cities began migrating to northern American cities. This population shift lasted for several decades and had a major impact on our nation and the people living its major cities.

It is possible that, in part and in response to these events, students expressed increasing interest in sociology courses. In 1914 the Department of Education offered a course entitled "Sociology" for the first time and, in 1915, added a course entitled "Rural Sociology." By 1919, two more sociology courses had been added to the curriculum of the Department of Education. In the same year (1919) the sociology program was moved to the History Department and, in 1920, the program was moved again and became a part of the newly created Department of Sociology and Economics, where it remained until 1971.

 ~ The Department of Sociology and Economics ~

The first Head of the Department of Sociology and Economics was Dr. Roy Ellis, a position he held from 1920 to 1926. Dr. Ellis retired after completing the nation's longest tenure as a college president at that time (from February 2, 1926, to August 31, !961). According to the Winter Term, November 30 - March 9, 1926-1927, edition of the Bulletin of the Southwest Missouri State Teachers College (now Missouri State), the following sociology courses were being offered: Principles of Sociology (2 sections) Social Problems (2 sections) Poverty and Dependence (1 section) View our current course offerings. The Bulletin also noted that "Good rooms with modern conveniences can be obtained at $1.50 to $2.50 per week. Irvington Hall, a most desirable residence for young women, furnishes room and board for $6.00 per week." (page 6)

Dr. Roy Ellis

Dr. Raymond Thomas, an economics professor, became Head in 1926 and served in that position until 1929, when Dr. Walter O. Cralle became Head. Dr. Cralle served as Head from 1929 until 1961. Thirty-two years is a long period of time to serve as the Head of an academic department, and he served the university, the department, its students, and the community well over all those years.

The department continues to pay homage to Dr. Cralle as a result of the generous support of his family members through the Walter O. Cralle Scholarship. Dr. Cralle would be proud of the exceptional students who have benefited from his family's contributions. Dr. Duane Meyer, a historian who served as Academic Dean of the university from 1961 to 1971 and as President of Missouri State from 1971 to 1982, recalled that Dr. Cralle had a special connection with his students. He recalled two incidents which illustrate that connection.

Dr. Walter O. Cralle Department Head, 1929-1961

According to Dr. Meyer, Dr. Cralle used to drive a very small car. One day, while Dr. Cralle was teaching class, a group of his students played a prank on him by picking up his car and moving it across campus. They put it on the porch of McDonald Arena, hiding it from his view. In the 1930s, registration at Missouri State was conducted in McDonald Arena. As the story goes, Dr. Cralle was assisting a sociology student who, after registering for his classes, asked if he could pay for his tuition with three bags of turnips. Dr. Cralle told the student "That kind of payment won't be acceptable to the University, but you can leave the turnips with me and I'll see if I can work something out." After the student left, Dr. Cralle visited with several other faculty members and sold them the student's turnips. He raised enough money to pay for the student's tuition.

Dr. Cralle in 1928

Dr. Young furnished us with a copy of a Commencement speech Dr. Cralle delivered in 1926 in Lebanon Missouri.
The way in which Dr. Cralle dealt with students helped the department grow under his reign as Department Head. Dr. Cralle's successor, Dr. Oreen Ruedi, who served as Head of the Department of Sociology and Economics from 1961-1968, showed the same genuine concern for students and fellow faculty. The period during which Dr. Cralle served as Head included the Great Depression, World War II and the following period of heretofore unknown growth and prosperity in the United States, the Korean War, the beginnings of the Cold War, and the pre-Vietnam era. It was a time of great change and upheaval in the world, including the United States. During such times it is not surprising to find among students a desire to learn more about the social changes taking place around them.		Dr. Oreen Ruedi

From 1920 to 1971, the number of Sociology courses offered by the department increased from four to twenty, reflecting the growth of the discipline, the growing expertise of the faculty (old and new) and student demand for more courses that would help them better understand the changes taking place in society.

The decade of the 1960s was another difficult period in the history of the United States. There were race riots in 1965 in Watts and in 1967 Newark, New Jersey, and elsewhere. The riots were frightening events and reminders of the divisiveness and suffering in our society. The assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, and the turmoil surrounding the now infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago serve as a barometer of life in the United States at that time and spawned another generation of university students eager to learn more about their society and the world.

Dr. Amonker

Five Anthropology courses and two criminology/criminal justice courses were added to the department's curriculum in the late 1960's. The development of the criminal justice courses reflected the booming crime rates of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was during this time, in 1968, that Dr. Ravindra (Robin) G. Amonker was hired, bringing to the department his expertise in the field of demographics and research methodology.

Dr. Robin Amonker in 1969

A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Sociology and Economics and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Sociology were first offered in 1948. In 1963 the new Bachelor of Science in Sociology was created and, in 1970, "Social Services" was added as an area of study within the department, under the Headship of Dr. Clarence Ketch (Department Head from 1968-1970). By the 1980's the Social Service courses evolved into the Social Work Program, but more about that later. From 1970 to 1972, Dr. J. David Lages, an economist, was the Head of the Department.

 ~ Striking Off on Our Own ~

Dr. Holt Spicer served as Head of the Arts and Humanities Division of Missouri State from 1971-1989 which, during that period of time, split into the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (now known as the College of Humanities and Public Affairs - where our department is located). In that position, Dr. Spicer was over the Head of the Department of Sociology and Economics. Dr. Clarence Ketch served as the Head of our department from 1968-1970.

Dr. Clarence Ketch

According to Dr. Spicer, "Innovations in course format were also being developed in the Department of Sociology in the form of one of the first closed-circuit television (CCTV) classes offered by the university. Dr. Clarence Ketch developed the televised version of introductory sociology as a way of handling increasing student interest in the department's offerings." Dr. Ketch was very fond of bow ties. He was never seen in class without one. Some of the ties were made by his wife. In fact, he was so well known for his collection of ties that the Springfield (MO) News-Leader once ran an article about him and his bow ties. Dr. Dale Wasson, formerly a member of the Department of Sociology and Economics, and currently Head of the Department of Economics, told us Dr. Ketch had been a chaplain and a contractor prior to entering the field of education.

 

Dr. Donald D. Landon

Continued growth in student demand for courses in sociology resulted in the hiring of Dr. Donald D. Landon in 1970. According to Dr. Spicer, "In 1971, having outgrown the Department of Sociology and Economics, Sociology was made into its own department. I hired Dr. Lloyd Young as the Department Head."

Dr. Lloyd R. Young

In the United States, the 1960s and 1970s saw increased student activism surrounding our nation's involvement in Vietnam, the Free Speech Movement, and much more. Once again, the number of students taking courses in sociology increased.

Group Pictures of the Department since 1972

Dr. Doris Ewing

In 1972, Dr. Doris Ewing joined the faculty with her passion for the study of social programs and community activism. In 1973, Dr. Martha F. Wilkerson was hired bringing her interest in rural sociology, leisure and sport, and social statistics to the department and its students. Dr. William E. Larkin was also hired in 1973. Dr. Larkin had a passion for the sociology of the family and childhood as well as the study of deviance. In time, he was to be responsible for the department's fund-raising efforts related to the creation of the New Sociology Scholarship (now known as the Scholarship in Societal Studies)

Dr. Martha Wilkerson

In 1978 Dr. Juris Zarins, an anthropologist and archaeologist, joined the department bringing his knowledge of the Middle East, archaeology, and world cultures. In 1979, Dr. William A. Wedenoja was hired and eventually became the Coordinator of the soon-to-be-created Anthropology Program.		Dr. William Larkin	Dr. Juris Zarins	Dr. William Wedenoja

Dr. Young's first term as Head of the department was from 1971 to 1984 - thirteen years. There were literally hundreds of students majoring in Sociology during the first few years he was Head. In an interview with Dr. Young he told us "Sociology programs were growing rapidly everywhere, and well-qualified faculty members were in short supply. I was just beginning my work as Department Head in the fall of 1971, and two weeks before the beginning of fall classes we were still in need of two instructors. The meetings of the American Sociological Association were held in Denver a week before our classes began. I drove to the meetings and hired two Instructors. I brought them back to Springfield in my car, and in a couple of days they were in the classroom.

We paid faculty members relatively small salaries and we didn't try to recruit by out-bidding anyone. We told faculty prospects - we meant it - that this was a great place to work, that the Department was made up of people who liked each other and liked to work with teach other, and that the sense of community here could not be beat. It was true, and it worked."

In the spring of 1972, the department learned that the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) was beginning to accredit undergraduate social work programs. Many of the department's majors were interested in careers in social work, and it was clear that employment opportunities would soon be closed for them. The two social work courses, initiated by Dr. Ruedi several years earlier, would no longer be adequate.

After careful study by the Department's faculty, a decision was made to develop a social work program that would be eligible for CSWE accreditation. In two or three years the goal was reached. According to Dr. Spicer, "That program was the biggest single change during my years associated with Department of Sociology and Economics. Primarily due to their accreditation requirements, the creation of the Social Work program was very labor intensive. The requirements were such that it took more time and energy to create than any other innovation undertaken during my time as Head of the Division."

~ Continued Expansion ~

The Center for Archaeological Research is Established (1975),
The Archaeology Field School is Created,
and a Minor in Anthropology is Born (1976)

The Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) was created in 1975. You can learn more about the major- and highway projects undertaken by the CAR. According to the accompanying chart, the CAR was initially headed by Dr. Robert Cooley, who created the Anthropology Minor in 1976 and taught the first course offered in Anthropology - Introduction to Anthropology (ANT 125). Dr. Cooley joined the department only one or two years before and held a joint teaching position in the Department of Religious Studies. Dr. Cooley also began the Archaeology Field School, a program which involved, and continues to involve, our Anthropology faculty and select Anthropology students in archaeological excavation, mapping, geoarchaeology, sample and artifact collection, and the interpretation of archaeological findings. You can learn more about where the field schools have been held. Dr. Burt Purrington joined the department in 1979 as Director of the Center for Archaeological Research and later became a fulltime member of the Department teaching a variety of courses in Anthropology. Although the Center was considered a part of our College, it was originally financed solely from cultural resource management projects it had acquired. In addition, it was designed to bring in much needed funding for the College. As stated in the Center's historical records, it struggled financially for several years and would have been discontinued had it not been for the vision of the then Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (now the College of Humanities and Public Affairs), Dr. Bernice Warren.

Dr. Burton L. Purrington

During a recent interview with Dr. Warren, she made several observations regarding the Center for Archaeological Research at that time. She refused to reduce the value of the center to a mere financial concern. She recognized that its financial footing would eventually get stronger and, most importantly, Dr. Warren understood that the Center was providing a needed public service that would cease to exist if the Center was closed.

Dr. Warren was correct on all accounts. For example, from 1995 to 1999 the Center for Archaeological Research was responsible for bringing in approximately 85% of the external funds contributed to the College of Humanities and Pubic Affairs.

The Anthropology Minor and the Social Work Program

Dr. Jim Wolk

By 1976 an Anthropology minor and a comprehensive major in Social Work were added to the Department's degree offerings. As a result of this, in 1980, the name of the department was changed to the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work. In 1981 the department hired Dr. Jim Wolk as Coordinator of the new Social Work degree program. Dr. Wolk had his Doctoral degree in Social Work (DSW) in hand when he joined our department, a rare degree to possess and one which reflected Dr. Wolk's expertise and dedication to the field. He coordinated our Social Work program for many years .

 

In 1983, the budding Social Work program was enhanced by the hiring of Dr. Jackie Pray. Dr. Pray brought years of agency and field experience with her which was channeled into teaching and practicum (internship) supervision. Dr. Gary Brock and Dr. Shahin Gerami were also added to the faculty roster of the department in 1983. Dr. Brock brought his expertise in the area of the sociology of religion and social change and Dr. Gerami specialized in gender studies and race/ethnic relations.

Dr. Gary Brock

Dr. Shahin Gerami

The Center for Social Research Opens its Doors

In 1984, Dr. Young was named Missouri State Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Donald D. Landon became our new Department Head. He served in that capacity until moving to the President's Office (as Assistant to the President of Missouri State) in 1993. As you will see, during Dr. Landon's Headship the department once again went through a period of expansion by hiring more faculty and by increasing the number of courses and degrees it offered its students. Dr. Landon left a lasting gift behind as he retired from the university - the Donald D. Landon Public Affairs Scholarship.

Dr. John Harms

In 1985, Dr. John B. Harms joined the department bringing his expertise in social theory, social control, and deviance. In 1987, Dr. David J. Hartmann, a researcher and urban sociologist, joined the department and was charged with creating a research center. Later that year, the Center for Social Research (now known as the Center for Social Sciences and Public Policy Research) was established and a Minor in Applied Social Research was developed the following year.

Dr. David J. Hartmann

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, life in the United States was becoming more secure and prosperous, even though crime was on the rise (the crack "epidemic" took place in the 1980s). The number of students majoring in Sociology began to decline. By 1984 there were 41 Sociology majors. In an effort to increase the number of students in the Sociology Program, the department, at the urging of Dr. Landon, then Head of the department, sought to strengthen the sociology program by adding two new areas of sociological inquiry - criminology or criminal justice and gerontology (the sociological and psychological study of aging). Those were logical choices for the department given the soaring crime rates of the 1970s and the "graying of America" (the sharp increase in the proportion of the population that was aged).

The Criminal Justice Studies Program (1987) is Born and the Gerontology Minor (1988) Moves In
Dr. Michael K. Carlie was hired in 1986 to build a criminal justice program and, in 1987, the Criminal Justice Studies Program was created and the first Criminal Justice Studies course was offered. One-hundred and fifteen students enrolled in that course (CJS 210, An Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System). The Criminal Justice Studies program drew many new students to the department and, since only a minor was available, many of those students chose to major in Sociology. The department's efforts paid off and in one decade, from 1987 to 1997, it witnessed a steady growth in the number of Sociology majors from 41 to approximately 225, and we had nearly 450 minors in the Criminal Justice Studies Program (many of whom were also Sociology majors). This resulted in a hiring additional faculty in order to address growing student demand for courses in both Sociology and Criminal Justice Studies.		Dr. Mike Carlie
Dr. Carlie stepped down as Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Studies Program in 1997 to pursue his teaching and research interests and Dr. Karl Kunkel was appointed Coordinator in his place by Dr. Jeffrey Nash, then Head of the Department. By 1999 the Criminal Justice Studies program became known as the Crime and Society program and a new comprehensive major in that field of study was created. Dr. Kunkel was also instrumental in creating the Criminal Justice Option (first offered in 2000) as part of the university's relatively new Master of Science in Public Administration degree. On February 18, 2005, the name of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology was officially changed to the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology.

Dr. Bradley Fisher		In 1988, Dr. Bradley J. Fisher joined our department importing his expertise in the fields of social gerontology and social psychology. With the addition of Dr. Fisher, a relatively unknown gerontology program in the Department of Psychology became a thriving major in the Department of Sociology. As fate would have it, the Gerontology Program was  moved from our department and College to the College of Health and Human Services in 1998 as part of a reorganization of the University's Colleges by then President Dr. John Keiser. At the same time, the name of our College (Humanities and Social Sciences) was changed to the College of Humanities and Public Affairs. Like the Criminal Justice Studies Program, the Gerontology Program drew many students and, since that time, has become a valued academic program of study at Missouri State.

Dr. Tim Knapp		In 1989 Dr. Timothy D. Knapp joined the department with special interests in the human impact of labor market transformations and the causes/consequences of ethnic and gender inequality. Dr. Marvin T. Prosono joined the Department in 1990 bringing us his knowledge of medical sociology, law, the sociology of the Holocaust, mental illness, and forensic psychiatry. A Master of Arts degree in Social Work (M.S.W.) was added to the department's offerings in 1990. Sadly, one of the accreditation requirements for Social Work Masters programs is that they be a stand-alone departments - not part of another department. For this reason, the Social Work program and its faculty, many of whom had served for several years in the department, moved out and became the Missouri State School of Social Work. Although this was a loss for the department, it was a necessary move for the Social Work Program. The end result, of course, was that the department's name was changed to the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. During the years 1993 to 1995, there were several changes in departmental leadership. When Dr. Landon left as Head to become Missouri State President Dr. John Keiser's Assistant in 1993, Dr. Young, having returned to the department from the Office of Academic Affairs, was named again as Head for a two-year term. One of the many legacies left to the Department by Dr. Young was the Dr. Lloyd R. Young Scholarship. In 1993, Dr. LiYing Li joined the department bringing her expertise on Chinese culture, populations studies, and comparative criminal justice. From 1994 to 1996, Dr. Young once again served as Head as we pursued hiring a person to fill that position on a fulltime basis. Drs. Karl R. Kunkel bringing an interest in the study of the courts and prisons, the handling of white collar crime, and criminal justice policy. Dr. Melodye G. Lehnerer became a member of the department in 1994.  Dr. Lehnerer, with several years of experience working in corrections-oriented community-based agencies, was also interested in the study of deviance and social control, gender, media studies, and sociological practice. Majors in Anthropology and in Criminology and involvement in the Master of Science in Administrative Studies (MSAS) The department continued to grow in the 1990's by adding a Major in Anthropology in 1997. According to Dr. Wedenoja, long-time Coordinator of the Anthropology Program, one hundred declared majors were added to the program during the first year the major was offered. In 1999, a Sociology track was added to the University's Master of Science in Administrative Studies (MSAS) and, in 2001, the Criminal Justice Option was added and has, since that time, drawn many students to its curriculum. The continuing growth in all of the department's programs resulted in another wave of new faculty.
Dr. Marvin Prosono
Dr. LiYing Li
Dr. Karl Kunkel
Dr. Melodye Lehnerer

Dr. Jeffrey E. Nash was hired in 1995 to become Head of the Department. He brought us considerable expertise in conducting both qualitative- and quantitative social research using GSS (General Social Survey data). He served as Director of the Center for Social Research and Department Head until 2002. Under Dr. Nash's leadership, Dr. Gary Brinker, with expertise in social research, was added to the faculty in 1997 and became the Associate Director of the Center for Social Research (renamed the Center for Social Sciences and Public Policy Research in 1999).

Dr. Jeff Nash

Dr. Margaret L. Buckner, an anthropologist and linguist with extensive field experience in Africa, was also added to the department's faculty in 1997. Although she had been teaching several criminal justice courses in our department since the late 1980s, Diane Leamy became a fulltime Lecturer in the department in 1999. Mrs. Leamy is also our primary Criminology Internship Supervisor.

Dr. Gary Brinker

Mrs. Diane Leamy

Dr. Margaret Buckner

Increasing demand for courses in the Anthropology Program resulted in the hiring of Dr. Suzanne E. Walker in 2000 and Dr. William C. Meadows in 2003. Dr. Walker brought her expertise in Forensic Anthropology and Primatology, while Dr. Meadows brought considerable expertise in Native (Indian) cultures in the United States and in Japanese culture.
 

Dr. Suzanne Walker   Dr. William  Meadows

In 2001 Dr. Lorene Stone was hired by Missouri State as the new Dean of the College of Humanities and Public Affairs - the College in which our Department is located. She is a sociologist and criminologist and holds the rank of Professor of Sociology in our department. Dr. Stone's ability to teach courses in the field of criminal justice enhanced the Criminology Program and, as a result of continuing student interest in criminal justice, two more Sociology/Criminology faculty were hired. In 2003 both Mr. Jeffrey London and Dr. Gayle Rhineberger joined the department.

Dr. Lorene Stone

Mr. Jeffrey London

Dr. Gayle Rhineberger

Over the years, many of the department's faculty have received either Missouri State Foundation, University, or College awards for their teaching, scholarship, and or service activities. Some have received both and others have received state and national awards.

~ In Closing ~

Since its inception, the department has been responsive to societal change and the changing needs of students. One of the most significant observations which could be made regarding the history of this department is that, over many decades, the Sociology Program has proven to be a productive and innovative incubator of several sociology-related academic minors. The faculty of the Sociology Program gave birth to the Anthropology Minor, the Social Work Minor, the Criminal Justice Studies Minor, and the Gerontology Minor. And, if the past is any predictor of the future, there may be more to come.

In every case, those academic minors were so successful that they became academic majors. Some of them matured to the point of leaving to become their own department or independent Program (Social Work and Gerontology). In 2003 the others (Anthropology and Crime and Society) were still in the department aside the Sociology Program.

When asked how it was that the department developed from such humble beginnings in 1915 into the thriving and vital department it is today, one factor was consistently noted by each person we interviewed for this study ... the relationships among the department's faculty was the driving force for departmental innovation and growth. The excellence of the faculty in teaching, scholarship, and service also played a part in whatever success we, as a department, have achieved over the past many decades.

Dr. Wilkerson agreed that the community was a major draw when she considered joining our department. She said "I made the decision to come to the university as a result of a conversation I had with a friend who was working in another department at Missouri State. He told me the university was 'a great place to work.'"

Perhaps Dr. Spicer said it best when he noted that "Although growth is not always harmonious, it was the ability of the department's faculty to see connections and common interests between their projects and between their various programs that promoted the development of the new and exciting ideas that developed. Those ideas allowed the department and the College to grow as well as it did."

In the very early stages of the 21st century, the department continues to expand and strengthen its position on campus and within its various fields of study. In 2003 the number of majors in Anthropology had grown to nearly 100 while the number of majors in the Crime and Society program exceeded 200. The number of students in the Sociology program (at about 80 in 2003) is likely to begin increasing again as the department makes a concerted effort to attract and retain more Sociology majors and minors.

Under the leadership of Dr. Karl Kunkel, who became Head of the Department in 2003, the department was re-energized through the creation of various new committees, many of them focusing on the growth of their respective programs both in the number of students served and in courses offered. Recent (2003) emphases upon growth and retention are reflected in the creation of the first Recruitment Committee in the department's history and a reinvigoration of its Long Range Planning Committee.

The department's history is a history of people and their mutual and individual efforts and achievements - and, as is evident in this document, the achievements have been many. When all is said and done, however, the purpose for the department's existence is the transmission of the sociological- or anthropological perspective to its students. They are the true measure of how we have done, and, judging from the contributions our students have made over the years, we, and they, have done well.

If you would like to support our department and its students, please consider contributing to one or more of our student scholarships.

_________________________

This historical account of the department was written by Dr. Mike Carlie during the Fall of 2003 and was posted on the Internet on the fifth of December of that year. Eric Deatherage, Dr. Carlie's graduate assistant, gathered much of the initial data needed including the dates during which department Head's served, the group pictures of the department and several of our earliest colleagues' pictures, the chronology of the Center for Archaeological Research (and the Field School) and the delightful discovery of when the first sociology course was offered at Missouri State. Meleony Ames, Dr. Carlie's Work Study Student, also assisted in the project.

Special thanks to Drs. Donald Landon, Holt Spicer, Lloyd Young, William Wedenoja and Martha Wilkerson for allowing us to interview them and to Drs. Landon and Young for reviewing the final document. Any errors in the historical record presented here may be attributed to the passage of time and poor memory. Hey, we're "absent-minded professors," right?

* Sadly, it is not possible to reconstruct everything about our department's long history, including the names of all the men and women who have served as our faculty. Our apologies to those men and women who were not included. If you are one of those people (or you know one of them) please contact us at your earliest convenience so we may include you (and your picture, please) in this document. And, if you are one of those people, please send us a list of the degrees you earned, where you earned them, and when you received them.