Summary Information
Abstract
The Robert K. Merton papers document the noted sociologist's career as a student,
professor, writer, and researcher. Merton's numerous and varied academic and
professional affiliations, activities, and accomplishments are reflected in
correspondence, memoranda, drafts, clippings, and notes.
At a Glance
| Call No.: | MS#1439 |
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| Bib ID: | 6911309 View CLIO record |
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| Creator(s): | Merton, Robert King, 1910-2003. |
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| Title: | Robert K. Merton
Papers,
1928-2003
[Bulk Dates: 1943-2001].
|
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| Physical description: | 220 linear ft. (475 manuscript boxes, 1 small manuscript
box, 1 flat box, 1 small flat box, 11 index card boxes, 18 large index card
boxes, 1 record carton).
|
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| Language(s): | Material is in English
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| Access: |
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least
two business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript
Library reading room.
Various folders throughout the collection may also contain restrictions, which are noted in the
contents list.
The Rare Book and Manuscript Library does not currently have the capacity to allow patrons access to audio cassettes, reel-to-reel tapes, film, analog records, and videotapes. If you need access to this type of material, please contact Access Services to discuss the possibility of reproduction or reformatting.
More information » |
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Arrangement
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in eight series:
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Description
Scope and Content
The papers of noted sociologist Robert K. Merton (1910-2003) span his professional and
academic career, beginning with his formative years as a student in the early 1930s and
documenting his notable contributions in the field of sociology through the mid-to-late
twentieth century. The papers as a whole portray the many facets of Merton's lengthy
career including writings and studies, public and classroom lectures, research, and
professional affiliations. Included are extensive course lecture notes, edits and drafts
of published and unpublished writings, and items related to Merton's early work with
Paul F. Lazarsfeld at the Bureau of Applied Social Research. Incoming and outgoing
correspondence comprises a large portion of the collection. These letters, with key
sociologists, authors, publishers, and prominent figures in a range of disciplines,
detail the formation of many of Merton's original ideas and concepts, in addition to
covering Merton's numerous academic and scholarly endeavors. Merton's varied interests
and broad achievements are reflected in correspondence, notes, drafts, memoranda, and
clippings. Merton meticulously organized his material and the arrangement presented here
closely follows the original order.
The collection consists of three groups of material that were stored in different
locations and processed separately. Boxes #1-352 contain material previously stored in
Merton’s office in Fayerweather Hall at Columbia University. Boxes #353-433 include
items from Merton’s residence in Manhattan. Boxes #434 -507 contain items removed from
the home of Merton in East Hampton, New York. The container lists reflect these three
groupings in distinct sections. Under each subseries, boxes will be listed
alphabetically by each group, so that the alphabetical sequence will repeat itself three
times, one for each group.
Series I: Administrative, 1943-2002
Material in this series consists of general administrative records related to
Merton's work, such as curriculum vitae, bibliographies, and agendas.
Correspondents in this series include several office assistants who played
instrumental roles in keeping Merton's administrative operations well organized.
Of note are the address book and rolodex of personal and professional contacts
which reflect the varied associations Merton kept with individuals and
organizations throughout his career. The series also contains photographic
portraits of Merton from various time periods. The records are arranged
alphabetically.
Series II: Correspondence, 1930-2003
This series, the largest in the collection, contains incoming and outgoing letters
chronicling Robert K. Merton’s professional career. The correspondence explores
prevalent issues and trends in the field of Sociology throughout the second half
of the twentieth century, as well as notable sociological events and
organizations. Correspondents include students, colleagues in the field of
Sociology, both at Columbia University and other academic and social institutions,
and individuals in a variety of scholarly fields, particularly Philosophy,
English, Anthropology, Mathematics, and Science. Merton's collaborative ties with
publishers, co-authors, editors, professors, and foundation and committee
affiliates are well documented here. Material covers Merton's involvement in
public events, lectures, conferences, writings, projects, studies, teaching, and
editorial duties. The series also reflects the atmosphere at Columbia University
and the Department of Sociology during Merton's tenure.
Maintaining the original order established by Merton, the series is divided into
three subseries: Alphabetical; Recommendations; and With Students. Additional
correspondence pertaining to Merton's affiliation with various professional
organizations is available in Series IV.2. Correspondence specifically related to
Merton's writings can be found in Series 5.
Subseries II.1: Alphabetical, 1930-2003
Correspondence in this subseries documents Merton’s professional affiliations,
scholarly activities, and professional pursuits. The letters depict the
establishment of Merton's academic and professional ties, many spanning the
entire length of his career, as well as the formation of numerous long-standing
collaborative exchanges. Correspondents include noted sociologists, such as
Kingsley Davis, Talcott Parsons, Pitirim Sorokin, Peter Blau, William J. Goode,
Alvin Gouldner, and Cynthia Fuchs Epstein, publishers, such as Alfred Knopf and
Howard Fertig, and authors, including Umberto Eco and Granville Hicks. The
discourse frequently depicts Merton's original ideas and concepts taking shape,
resulting in further exploration through projects and writings. For example,
material in the folder titled 'Focussed Group Interview Origins' identifies the
inception of the focussed group interview technique through correspondence
between Merton, Paul F. Lazarsfeld, and Carl Hovland of the War Department of
the Pentagon. Of interest are letters in the folder titled 'Brown vs. Board of
Education of Topeka' which detail NAACP members Alfred McClung Lee and Kenneth
Clark's interest in establishing a social science consultants committee to
further assist in desegregating schools in the 1950s.
Copies of correspondence with C. Wright Mills are housed in the Lo?c Wacquant
folder (originals are not included in collection). In keeping with the original
order of the materials, all correspondence with Paul F. Lazarsfeld can be found
in Series IV.4, under the Paul F. Lazarsfeld Center section. Correspondence
related to individuals may appear in folders bearing their name, even if the
letters are not to or from them (explaining why many folder dates outlast the
life of the individual). This subseries is arranged alphabetically by personal
name, corporate name, or subject.
Subseries II.2: Recommendations, 1936-2001
Incoming student and colleague recommendation requests and copies of Merton’s
outgoing recommendation letters are contained in Subseries II.2. The material
is arranged alphabetically by requester's last name. Recommendation requests
involve correspondents’ professional and educational pursuits, such as college
admittance, grants, fellowships, and awards, as well as career opportunities in
academia and other areas.
Subseries II.3: With Students, 1942-2001
Correspondence consists of outgoing and incoming letters from a wide range of
students. Topics involve dissertations, course curriculum, research and field
work, activities, such as committees and events, and career advice. The
subseries includes a general category covering one time students of Merton’s,
which contains reflections on their careers and formative years under Merton’s
tutelage. Inquiries from students outside of Columbia University pertain to
Merton’s work and writings. This subseries is organized alphabetically by
student's last name.
Series III: Course Materials, 1928-1998
Course materials document Robert K. Merton's academic pursuits, from his studies
as an undergraduate student at Temple University, to his longtime Professorship
with Columbia University's Sociology Department. In addition to providing an
overview of Merton's teaching career, the records also trace Merton's early
academic influences and activities. As an undergraduate at Temple University,
Merton studied under George Simpson and later became his research assistant. While
attending Harvard University, Merton was largely influenced by Pitirim Sorokin and
Talcott Parsons. With Parson's encouragement, Merton undertook the role of both
tutor and instructor with Harvard University's Sociology Department. Merton also
found inspiration from E.F. Gay, who helped develop his interested in science and
technology. This series underscores the significance of these early mentors and
depicts Merton's subsequent scholastic activities, including teaching at various
institutions and research endeavors. Series III is divided into four subseries
that reflect the stages of Merton's academic career.
Subseries III.1: Courses Attended and Student Activities, 1928-1939
Material in Subseries III.1 pertains to courses Merton attended as a student in
the early 1930s at both Temple University and Harvard University. Items include
handwritten lecture notes, course handouts, syllabi, examination questions, and
a paper written by Merton. When known, course instructors are noted. Items
related to course materials, but are unconfirmed as courses Merton attended,
are included in the folder titled 'General.' This subseries illustrates the
courses and professors that influenced Merton's early career pursuits and
sociological interests. Of particular value is a document from a meeting of
Parsons' Sociological Group. Merton formed this group with other sociology
students while at Harvard University and they met frequently with professor
Talcott Parsons to develop and discuss sociological problems and theoretical
issues. Merton later cited the group and Parsons' role in his sociological
development as fundamentally influential.
Subseries III.2: Courses Taught at Columbia University, 1941-1987
This subseries comprises the bulk of Series III and consists of items
pertaining to Merton's lengthy teaching career at Columbia University. Courses
taught by Merton are documented in great detail through extensive lecture notes
(both preparatory and post-class), examinations, assignments, reading lists,
syllabi, agendas and meeting minutes. Heavily represented in this subseries are
seminars Merton co-taught with Harriet Zuckerman on the Sociology of Science.
Related items include student research projects, proposals, and material
relating to the referee process (also known as peer review). Subseries III.2
also contains information related to the University Seminars on the
Professions, taught by Merton in the 1950s. These seminars led to the creation
of the Casebook on Professions in American Society, which Merton co-authored
with William J. Goode. The casebook outlines research and instruction
methodology for the study of the professions and extensive documentation on its
creation is included here. Items listed alphabetically by topic include
assorted course lecture notes compiled thematically by Merton and research
material that occasionally extends beyond Merton's teaching career.
Subseries III.3: Courses Taught at Other Institutions, 1934-1998
Subseries III.3 contains material on early courses taught by Merton outside of
Columbia University, as a teaching assistant and instructor at Harvard
University and Professor at Tulane University. Items also relate to courses
Merton taught during summer sessions at University of California, Berkeley.
Records include copies of course examinations, lecture notes, syllabi, and
reading lists.
Subseries III.4: Notes and Research, 1930-1990
The bulk of this subseries consists of Merton's handwritten reading notes.
These notes summarize writings by various authors and individuals on a wide
range of topics, including sociological theory, philosophy, psychology,
religion, science, and the law. The majority of notes are undated, but
generally pertain to items written in the 1920s and 1930s. These notes were
presumably composed during Merton's tenure as a student or in his early years
of teaching, as reference for course work and lectures. This subseries also
contains topical research files, including newspaper clippings, articles, and
notes pertaining to various subjects. In many cases the topics contained in
these subject files were explored by Merton in subsequent projects, studies,
and courses. The records are arranged using the original order established by
Merton and are organized alphabetically by individual or author's last name and
by subject.
Series IV: Professional Career, 1933-2003
This series profiles Merton's activities and affiliations throughout his extensive
professional career. Material pertains to professional events and activities, such
as conferences and public lectures, associations with various organizations,
honors and awards bestowed upon Merton, and Merton's faculty involvement with
Columbia University. The series is composed of four subseries: Activities;
Affiliations; Awards and Honors; and Columbia University.
Subseries IV.1: Activities, 1933-2003
Subseries IV.1 encompasses activities related to Merton's professional career
outside of the scope of writings, studies, and teaching. These include
conferences, seminars, public lectures and talks, and early participation in
television and radio programs. The records consist of event programs and
invitations, public lecture notes and transcripts, correspondence, memoranda,
and annotated seminar and conference materials. Also included in the general
section are items related to interviews of Merton. These are arranged
alphabetically by interviewer’s last name. The subseries is arranged
alphabetically by hosting institution's name. In some cases, related records
are filed with material pertaining to professional organizations in Subseries
IV.2.
Subseries IV.2: Affiliations, 1943-2001
Merton maintained connections with a wide variety of professional
organizations, foundations, councils, centers, and universities outside of
Columbia University. This subseries depicts Merton's affiliations and interests
as he served in a variety of capacities, from board and committee member, to
trustee and advisor. Merton's service on numerous editorial boards for
prominent scholarly journals and encyclopedias is also reflected in these
records. Items in this subseries include meeting agenda, reports,
correspondence, and occasional photographs documenting events. The records
provide insight into the origin and history of certain organizations, most
notably the Society for Social Studies of Science and the Center for Advanced
Study in the Behavioral Sciences. Because this subseries conforms to Merton’s
original arrangement, items pertaining to Subseries IV.1 and Subseries IV.3 may
occasionally be found here.
Subseries IV.3: Awards and Honors, 1959-2001
Awards and Honors encompass merits presented to Merton by the professional
community at large, including chairmanships, honorary degrees, prizes, and most
notably, the National Medal of Science. This subseries is comprised of
acceptance speeches, ceremonial programs, invitations, press clippings, and
correspondence. A complete list of awards can be found in Merton's curriculum
vitae in Series I. Award information relating to specific organizations is also
filed in Subseries IV.2
Subseries IV.4: Columbia University, 1940-2001
This subseries portrays Merton's faculty affiliation with Columbia University
through records related to public lectures, conference and event attendance,
departmental involvement, awards, and service on numerous committees. Prominent
in this subseries is material detailing Merton's extensive involvement with the
Paul F. Lazarsfeld Center for the Social Sciences, a direct descendent of the
Bureau of Applied Social Research and the Center for Social Sciences. Merton
grouped all material related to Lazarsfeld in this section. Items include
original correspondence with Lazarsfeld, material pertaining to Lazarsfeld's
life and work, and records related to the creation of the book
Qualitative and Quantitative Research: Papers in Honor of
Paul F. Lazarsfeld,
of which Merton was a contributing editor. The
Paul F. Lazarsfeld items in boxes #444-448 were compiled by Merton and contain
general musings, notes, and recollections about Lazarsfeld using a variety of
themes. It appears that Merton compiled this material in preparation for a talk
at the Paul F. Lazarsfeld Colloquium at the Sorbonne in 1994. Also present in
this subseries are Merton's Sociology Department administrative files. These
files characterize the operations of the department, particularly during the
1970s and 1980s, and Merton's involvement and thoughts regarding departmental
procedures and decisions. Topics include faculty, courses, committees,
fellowships, and visiting professors.
Series V: Reference and Research, 1933-2002
Robert K. Merton was an avid reader and researcher and items in this series
reflect his intellectual curiosity regarding a wide variety of subjects over the
course of his professional career. The series contains both reference material and
subject files. Reference material includes items consulted by Merton, such as
annotated articles, an indexed card catalog of his personal library, and assorted
reading notes. The card catalog is arranged alphabetically and cross-indexed by
both author and title. Included in this series are Merton's memory books. These
books contain notes drafted by Merton in response to various articles and include
a table of contents noting article titles and authors. Reference material also
consists of a folder labeled: photo album. This folder contains newspaper and
magazine clippings of portraits of well-known figures, including authors such as
William Faulkner and Willa Cather, leaders like Dwight D. Eisenhower and Abraham
Lincoln, and noteworthy individuals such as Albert Einstein, Thorstein Veblen,
H.G. Wells, and Karl Marx. These images illustrate Merton's varied influences and
interests. Subject files contain articles, clippings, notes, and occasional
correspondence. Many of the topics are related to familiar themes explored over
the course of Merton's career, as well as some that were never fully realized in
publication. In some cases, subject files relate specifically to terms and phrases
coined by Merton. These files track usage of the terms and related correspondence.
Extensive clippings related to the self-fulfilling prophecy, a concept Merton
created, reflect a project of long-standing in which Merton analyzed the diffusion
of the idea into a number of other fields.
The series also includes extensive index cards arranged under the original order
maintained by Merton and not alphabetized. These cards include items pertaining to
early studies, projects, and themes. Interfiled with the index cards are
clippings, notes, original thoughts and impressions, musings, and occasional
correspondence. The items are largely undated and due to the volume, are not dated
in the container list.
Series VI: Studies and Projects, 1935-1997
This series provides a framework for understanding key sociological studies and
projects conducted by Merton in the mid-twentieth century. Project documentation
includes analyses of publications, general surveys, and proposed project topics.
Study materials, which comprise the bulk of the series, cover Merton's early
sociological pursuits, mainly while he was involved with the Bureau of Applied
Social Research at Columbia University. Of note are original interviews,
questionnaires, and journals of study participants, which provide an unfiltered
look at American social thought and attitude regarding social and cultural issues,
education, and careers. These are particularly evidenced in the Ethnic
Opinionnaires completed in the 1940s. The records also reflect the evolution of
Merton's studies into larger bodies of work, such as publications and conferences.
This series is particularly important as it illuminates early social research
methodology. A good portion of the records include notes, proposals for funding,
drafts of questionnaires, and memoranda related to execution of studies. The
studies were also used in Merton's courses and seminars at Columbia University as
a means of teaching sociology students about research practices.
Major studies reflected in Series VI include the Housing study, the Manhattanville
project, the Expert study, the study of Medical Education and the Eisenhower mail
study. The Housing study analyzed a mixed race public housing community and Merton
used these findings to examine social concepts, such as friendship, from a
sociological perspective. Several publications derived from the study, most
notably
Patterns of Social Life: Explorations in the
Sociology of Housing,
are represented in the series. The Manhattanville
project was conducted in the early 1950s and records consist of extensive
interviews with members of the Manhattanville neighborhood in New York. These
interviews were used to determine the community's occupational aspirations and
success models. This study relied heavily on participant interviews and
observation and detailed transcripts and field reports are contained here. The
Expert study focused on several separate case studies to understand the
utilization of social sciences and scientists in business and government. The
study evolved into several published works, which are represented in the series.
The Sociological Study of Medical Education records include interviews and
journals from students in medical programs at Cornell, University of Pennsylvania
and Western Reserve. Material also includes codebooks, correspondence, and
memoranda related to the study. Of note is a folder titled: 'Analysis of Material
for Concept Formation.' These are items from the study compiled by Merton many
years later and examined for early usage of concepts and phrases, such as role
model. Additional material regarding publications from this study are located in
Subseries VII.3. The Eisenhower mail study was an attempt by Merton, Joan
Goldhamer, and other Bureau of Applied Social Research affiliates to analyze
approximately 20,000 letters, postcards and telegrams received by General Dwight
D. Eisenhower in 1948 urging him to become candidate for the presidency of the
United States. Midway through the project, Eisenhower's team asked the Bureau to
abandon the study, giving no explanation. In 1998 Joan Goldhamer published a
follow up article entitled "General Eisenhower in academe: A clash of perspectives
and a study suppressed." Contained in this series are unpublished documents
related to the original mail study, including transcripts of a meeting between
Merton and Eisenhower, memoranda, correspondence, and initial drafts. Items
pertaining to the revival of the study include correspondence and Goldhamer's
drafts containing Merton's edits.
Series VI is arranged alphabetically by name of study or project
Series VII: Writings, 1931-2002
Series VII encompasses published and unpublished material written by and about
Merton. This includes books, articles, collaborative projects, and editorial work.
Records consist of drafts, edits, research, working papers, correspondence, notes,
and outlines. Notes and research material provide particularly useful insight into
Merton's thoughts and ideas on a wide variety of subjects. Various edits, drafts,
and working copies reveal the development of Merton's written works from initial
conception to publication. The series is organized into five subseries based on
Merton’s original arrangement: About; Articles by; Books by; Edits for Others; and
Translations, Compilations, Forwards and Introductions by.
Subseries VII.1: About, 1947-2002
Items in this subseries pertain to articles and books written about Merton
throughout the course of his career. Also included are works such as cartoons,
caricatures, and dedications to Merton, indicating his wide-reaching influence
on others. Records consist of copies of articles, often with Merton's own
annotations, correspondence with authors, and responses from colleagues and the
general public. Oftentimes the items are edited by Merton or include his
reactions to the material. Of interest is the lengthy correspondence between
Merton and Charles Crothers, who wrote a biography on Merton's life and work.
Merton compiled a good deal of early original correspondence depicting his work
and influences and sent copies to Crothers. The compiled items are included
here. Subseries VII.1 begins with a general section and is then organized
alphabetically by title of work.
Subseries VII.2: Articles By, 1931-2002
This subseries, related to articles written by Merton, is organized into the
following sections: administrative; book reviews; chronologically organized
published articles; and unpublished or unidentified materials. Highlights of
the administrative correspondence include details pertaining to Merton's
contributions to the Bobbs-Merrill Company reprint series and items depicting
F.A. Davis Company's interest in compiling Merton's papers on the subject of
nursing into a volume for publication. Book review items include reviews
written by Merton, as well as related correspondence and drafts. Records
pertaining to articles written by Merton mainly consist of offprints and
occasionally include correspondence, original drafts, and research material. Of
interest is information related to Merton’s article "Notes on Sociology in the
U.S.S.R." This material chronicles a trip Merton and several prominent social
scientists took to the region in the early 1960s, under sponsorship from the
National Academy of Science. During this excursion, Merton formed ties with
many Russian social scientists and these relationships are conveyed through the
correspondence and topical information represented in this portion of the
collection. Unidentified material may potentially include items that are not
written by Merton.
Subseries VII.3: Books By, 1933-2002
Subseries VII.3 is arranged into three sections: general records;
chronologically by publication date; and unidentified or unpublished material.
General material pertains to several publications and therefore is not filed
with one particular title. These files are typically administrative in nature.
Records related to published books include correspondence, contracts with
publishers and contributors, reviews, notes, research, and original drafts.
Material in this subseries portrays Merton's meticulous research habits and
depicts his particular writing methods.
Of interest is material related to
The Travels and
Adventures of Serendipity.
Merton and Elinor Barber began research
on the word serendipity in the 1950s. The project lay dormant for several
decades and discussion of publication was revived in the 1990s. The records in
this subseries trace the work's progression up through eventual publication
plans. As part of their initial research efforts, Merton and Barber asked
colleagues to contribute their thoughts and ideas about the term serendipity.
These responses, as well as articles written about the term, are located in the
alphabetical research section. This section is alphabetized by contributor or
author's last name. Also of note is material regarding Merton’s earliest
published book,
Science, Technology and Society in
Seventeenth Century England,
which includes correspondence with
Pitirim Sorokin. The subseries also contains original drafts and corrections
for one of Merton's most well known and well received books,
On the Shoulders of Giants.
All items pertaining to
Patterns of Social Life:
Explorations in the Sociology of Housing
are located in Series
VI.
Subseries VII.4: Edits for Others, 1942-1999
Merton proclaimed he possessed "a lifelong addiction to editing." This
sentiment is reflected in the considerable amount of editorial material
comprising Subseries VII.4. The subseries includes draft copies of a wide
variety of works, along with Merton's extensive edits and comments. In some
cases, Merton drafted separate documents to comment on manuscripts and essays
of others, which are present here. The series also contains correspondence and
editing requests. Records are arranged alphabetically by author's last name or
occasionally by title of work. Merton also compiled records topically, which
are filed alphabetically throughout.
Subseries VII.5: Translations, Compilations, Introductions and
Forwards, 1959-1999
Merton's collaboration with authors from a wide variety of fields is documented
in this subseries. Projects include forwards and introductions for various
books, translations of material, and editorial work. Items include
correspondence, notes, drafts, and research files. This subseries is organized
chronologically beginning with translations and compilations and then forwards
and introductions. Information about these works may also be found in Series
II.
Series VIII: Audio Tapes (Reel-to-Reel) 1968-1972
Twenty reel-to-reel audio tapes of Merton lectures. Also some Caplow and Linz.
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Using the Collection
Offsite
Access Restrictions
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least
two business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript
Library reading room.
Various folders throughout the collection may also contain restrictions, which are noted in the
contents list.
The Rare Book and Manuscript Library does not currently have the capacity to allow patrons access to audio cassettes, reel-to-reel tapes, film, analog records, and videotapes. If you need access to this type of material, please contact Access Services to discuss the possibility of reproduction or reformatting.
Restrictions on Use
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material
from the collection must be requested from the Curator of Manuscripts/University
Archivist, Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML). The RBML approves permission to
publish that which it physically owns; the responsibility to secure copyright permission
rests with the patron.
Additions to the collection are expected. Processing of additional material to be
completed by February 2010.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Robert K. Merton Papers; Box and
Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
Selected Related Material-- At Columbia
Historical Biographical Files [18--?] - 2007.
Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University
Merton's biographical file includes articles related to Merton and his work.
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About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
Columbia University Libraries. Rare Book and
Manuscript Library; machine readable finding aid created by Columbia University
Libraries Digital Library Program Division
Processing Information
Papers processed by Lesley Espenship in 2008-2009
The processing of this collection was made possible by a grant from the Russell Sage
Foundation and the generous support of Harriet Zuckerman.
Finding aid written by Lesley Espenship in July 2009
Machine readable finding aid generated from MARC-AMC source via XSLT conversion
August 22, 2009
Finding aid written in English.
2009-08-22
xml document instance created by Carrie Hintz.
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Subject Headings
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
All links open new windows.
Subjects
| Heading | CUL Archives:
Portal | CUL Collections:
CLIO | Nat'l / Int'l Archives:
ArchiveGRID |
|---|
| Blau, Peter Michael | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
(Stanford, Calif.) | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Cole, Jonathan R. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Columbia University--Faculty. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Columbia University.--Bureau of Applied Social
Research. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Coser, Lewis A., 1913- | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Coser, Rose Laub, 1916- | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Davis, Kingsley, 1908-1997 | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Elkana, Yahuda 1934- | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Epstein, Cynthia Fuchs | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Garfield, Eugene | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Gieryn, Thomas F. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Goode, William Josiah. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Gouldner, Alvin Ward, 1920- | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Hicks, Granville, 1901-1982. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Kendall, Patricia L. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Lazarsfeld, Paul Felix. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Lederberg, Joshua. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Montagu, Ashley, 1905-1999. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Paul F. Lazarsfeld Center for the Social
Sciences. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Price, Derek J. de Solla (Derek John de Solla),
1922-1983. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Rossi, Peter H. (Peter Henry), 1921-2006. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Russell Sage Foundation. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Science--Social aspects. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Sica, Alan, 1949- | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Sills, David L. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Social sciences. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Sociology--Essays. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Sociology--Fieldwork. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Sociology--Research. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Sociology--Study and teaching. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
| Sociology. | Portal | CLIO | ArchiveGRID |
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History / Biographical Note
Biographical Note
Robert K. Merton was one of the most influential sociologists
whose work shaped the discipline in the mid-to-late 20th century. A prolific writer,
editor, teacher, and scholar, Merton examined a broad variety of topics from a
sociological perspective while developing concepts and theories aimed at linking
particular phenomena to more general social patterns. Well known for identifying and
analyzing self-fulfilling prophecies, unanticipated consequences, influentials, and role
models, Merton significantly contributed to sociological thought through extensive
writings, studies, lectures, and research projects. While most of Merton's career was
spent at Columbia University, defining the Sociology Department and the Bureau of
Applied Social Research, he was also affiliated with a wide range of professional and
scholarly organizations.
Merton was born Meyer R. Schkolnick on July 4, 1910 in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The second of two children, he was the son of Jewish
immigrants from Eastern Europe. From an early age, Merton spent countless hours at the
local Carnegie library where he developed broad interests in literature; particularly
biographies, science, and history. In his early teens Merton formed an interest in magic
and wrote a high school paper on the magician Harry Houdini. In the course of his
research, he discovered that performing artists often Americanized their names.
Following suit, he chose Robert Merton as his stage name; Robert, derived from the
French magician Robert Houdin (whom Harry Houdini took his last name), and Merton, a
version of Merlin the wizard. The middle initial stands for King, but was always
abbreviated by Merton. Encouraged by his brother-in-law, Charles Hopkins, he became a
skilled magician, doing an array of magic tricks as well as sleight of hand.
Upon graduation from South Philadelphia High School, Robert K.
Merton attended Temple University on a scholarship. While at Temple he encountered
George E. Simpson, a young sociology instructor, who recruited Merton to be his research
assistant. The assistantship, coupled with Simpson's lectures, sealed Merton's interest
in the field of sociology.
Through Simpson, Merton met Pitirim Sorokin, founder of the
Sociology Department at Harvard University. After receiving a B.A. from Temple in 1931,
Merton attended Harvard, claiming Sorokin's deep interest in European sociology was his
only reason for choosing the university at the time. In addition to Sorokin, he also
cited Talcott Parsons, E.F. Gay, and George Sarton as strong influences on his
development while at Harvard. Merton received his M.A. (1932) and his Ph.D. (1936) from
Harvard and went on to become an instructor in the University's Sociology Department
until 1939.
At Harvard University, Merton's experiences steered the course
of his sociological pursuits. While serving as research assistant to Sorokin, Merton
wrote his first published paper, "Recent French Sociology" in 1934, which led him to the
work of Emile Durkheim and formed the basis for what would become Merton's "own mode of
structural and functional analysis." Merton's interest in science and technology grew as
he attended a course taught by economic historian E.F. Gay, worked with Sorokin on a
joint paper on “Arabian Intellectual Development,” and encountered George Sarton, the
father of the then nascent discipline, the history of science. Sarton greatly influenced
Merton's scholarly development and their association, which Merton called an "unruly
apprenticeship," lasted 25 years.
Merton's dissertation, on the reciprocal connections between
science and society, focused specifically on the role Puritanism took in encouraging the
rise of science and showed, counter to ideas prevalent at the time, that religion could
stimulate and canalize rather than undermine scientific activity. His dissertation,
Science, Technology and Society in Seventeenth Century
England,
published in 1938, is widely viewed as the first work in the
sociology of science and continues to stimulate research on the origins of modern
science. Merton is considered to be the founder of this branch of sociology.
In 1939 Merton moved to New Orleans and became Associate
Professor in Tulane University's Sociology Department, later becoming the department
chair. In 1941 Merton accepted an Assistant Professor position in the Sociology
Department at Columbia University, which would serve as his academic home for the next
four decades.
At Columbia, Merton was a member of the Department of
Sociology while concurrently serving as the Associate Director of the Bureau of Applied
Social Research, a post he held from 1942-1971. From 1963-1974, he was the Giddings
Professor of Sociology and from 1974-1979, he was named to a University Professorship.
In 1979 he held the titles of both Special Service Professor and University Professor
Emeritus. Merton officially retired from teaching in 1984, but maintained active ties
with Columbia University. In 1990, Columbia established the R.K. Merton Professorship in
the Social Sciences.
Sociology was a growing discipline during Merton's years at
Columbia and much of his work influenced the development of the field. Among his most
well-known contributions were his analysis of manifest and latent functions, theories of
the middle range, social structure and anomie, bureaucratic structure and personality,
the sociology of knowledge, including the varying perspectives of outsiders and
insiders, and opportunity structures. He also examined a wide variety of subjects from a
sociological perspective, including science, formal organizations, media, friendship,
and deviant behavior and its sources. His interest in the sociology of science took a
new turn in the late 1950s when he turned to studies of the allocation of recognition
for scientific discoveries and the reward system of science, in which competition for
priority plays a major role. In the decades which followed, he pursued his work on
multiple independent discoveries, and their implications for the development of
knowledge, priority, and the Matthew effect.
Merton's involvement with the Bureau of Applied Social
Research spanned nearly 30 years. The Bureau was established a year before Merton
arrived at Columbia, with Paul F. Lazarsfeld at the helm. The working relationship that
developed between Lazarsfeld and Merton was one of the most significant in Merton's
career and one that Merton referred to as an "improbable collaboration." While their
interests and methods of inquiry differed, they proved to be complementary. Lazarsfeld
was known as a methodologist while Merton was the social theorist. Pinpointing their
influence on each other over the course of three decades is difficult. However, one of
Merton's best known contributions, the focused group interview (which later was
transmuted into “focus groups”), was brought about by Lazarsfeld's insistence on
developing well- articulated research methodologies.
At the Bureau, Merton and Lazarsfeld trained scores of
students and colleagues in social research, and produced major sociological studies on
the media, mass communication, mixed race housing communities, and professions. Merton
published several books related to these studies including,
Mass
Persuasion
(1946),
Reader in Bureaucracy
(1952),
The Student- Physician
(1957),
Patterns in Social Life: Explorations in the Sociology of
Housing
(1951), and
The Focused Interview
(1956).
In this same period, Merton's lectures on sociological theory
drew scores of students not only from the sociology department but also from departments
of history, anthropology, and economics. Courses included Analysis of Social Structure,
History of Theory, and Selected Problems in the Theory of Organizations. In conjunction
with his studies at the Bureau, Merton also led seminars on the Professions in Modern
Society, the Sociological Study of Medical Schools, and the Social Organization of
Housing Communities. His commitment to the sociology of science developed further in a
seminar of the same name which Merton co-taught with Harriet Zuckerman. As teacher and
dissertation advisor, he influenced generations of leading sociologists. These included
James Coleman, Peter Blau, Seymour Martin Lipset, Lewis and Rose Coser, Alvin Gouldner,
Alice Kitt Rossi, Raymond Boudon, Gary Runciman, Cynthia Epstein, Stephen Cole, Jonathan
Cole, and Harriet Zuckerman.
Apart from his teaching, Merton was a productive scholar and
editor. In addition to serving on various editorial boards for scholarly publications,
as varied as Britannica International Encyclopedia and ISIS, he also edited vast numbers
of manuscripts by students and colleagues. By Merton's own estimate, he edited 2,000
articles and 250 books. His own writings include over 175 published articles and nearly
30 books, as well as numerous book reviews, forwards, introductions, and compilations.
Many of the well-known theories and concepts Merton created
are reflected in his published articles, including "The Unanticipated Consequences of
Purposive Social Action" (1936), "The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy" (1948), "Social
Structure and Anomie" (1938), "Insiders and Outsiders" (1972), and "Priorities in
Scientific Discovery: A Chapter in the Sociology of Science" (1957). Merton's notable
books include
Social Theory and Social Structure
(1949;
1957 and 1968 enlarged edition),
Contemporary Social
Problems
(with Robert Nisbet) (1961), and
The
Sociology of Science: Theoretical and Empirical Investigations
(1973), and
The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity
(2003).
A fastidious and tireless scholar, Merton devoted long hours
to study and research. He was known to sleep very little, and often noted the early
morning hour in his letters. Owing to his meticulous note taking and organization of
research materials, he revisited earlier themes and ideas, revised and restructured his
writing. He also put many projects aside being dissatisfied with the work he had done
and completed them only decades later. Merton was a lover of language and embarked on
projects to analyze words and their origins, from a historical and sociological
perspective, the best known being the aphorism "If I have seen further it is by standing
on the shoulders of giants." Merton's journey to discover the phrases' origins led to
the publication of
On the Shoulders of Giants: a Shandean
Postscript
in 1965. The book, which he characterized as his favorite “brain
child,” is told as a discursive narrative, drawing the reader into the process of its
creation while examining the creation of ideas. Many of Merton's publications follow
this technique, and contain Merton's trademark wit and humor.
Merton's numerous interests were also reflected in his
affiliations with various committees, commissions, boards, and councils. Merton was an
adjunct faculty member at The Rockefeller University and Resident Scholar and Foundation
Scholar with the Russell Sage Foundation. He served as the George Sarton Professor of
the History of Science at the University of Ghent in Belgium from 1986-1987 and as
President of various professional associations, including the American Sociological
Association, Sociological Research Association, Eastern Sociological Society, and the
Society for Social Studies of Science.
Merton's professional accolades speak to his extraordinary
accomplishments. Over the course of his career he garnered twenty nine honorary degrees
from universities around the world, membership in honorary societies, awards,
lectureships, and trusteeships. His most notable honors include membership in the
National Academy of Science, the American Philosophical Society, the Swedish Academy of
Science, the British Academy and the Academia Europea. In 1994 Merton became the first
sociologist to receive the National Medal of Science. He also held a Guggenheim
Foundation Fellowship in 1962, a MacArthur Prize Fellowship in 1983-1988, and the
American Sociological Association's Common Wealth Award for Distinguished Service in
1979. Colleagues remarked that had there been a Nobel Prize in Sociology, Merton surely
would have received it.
Merton was married twice and had three children, Stephanie,
Robert, and Vanessa. He passed away on February 23, 2003 at the age of 92. His final
work, co-authored with Elinor Barber,
The Travels and Adventures
of Serendipity,
was published in Italian in 2002 and posthumously in English
in 2004.
Sources:
Crothers, Charles.
Robert K. Merton.
Key Sociologists
Series. Chichester: Ellis Horwood Limited; London: Tavistock Publications, 1987.
Merton, Robert K. "A Life of Learning: Charles Homer Haskins Lecture." ACLS Occasional
Paper, No. 25. New York: American Council of Learned Societies, 1994.
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