William I. Thomas
| W. I. Thomas | |
|---|---|
American sociologist and educator
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| Born | William Isaac Thomas 13 August 1863 Russell County, Virginia, United States |
| Died | 5 December 1947 (aged 84) Berkeley, California |
| Resting place | "Old Gray Cemetery" in Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Nationality | American |
| Fields | Sociology |
| Institutions | University of Tennessee, Oberlin College, University of Chicago |
| Education |
University of Tennessee University of Chicago |
| Doctoral advisor | Albion W. Small and Charles A. Henderson |
| Known for | Thomas theorem |
| Influences | Gabriel Tarde |
| Influenced | Herbert Blumer |
| Notable awards | Highest oratory honors of the University of Tennessee |
William Isaac Thomas (August 13, 1863 – December 5, 1947) was an American sociologist. With the help of Polish sociologist Florian Znaniecki, W.I. Thomas developed innovative work on the sociology of migration. Thomas then went on to formulate a fundamental principle of sociology, known as the Thomas theorem. Through his theorem, Thomas contended that, "If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences".
Thomas was born on a farm in the Elk Garden section of Russell County, Virginia on August 13th, 1863, to his mother Sarah Price Thomas and his father Thaddeus Peter Thomas, a Methodist minister of Pennsylvania Dutch descent. His family moved to Knoxville, home of the University of Tennessee, when he was a boy, because his father wanted to improve the educational opportunities of his children.
Beginning in 1880, Thomas studied literature and classics at the University of Tennessee, where he obtained a B.A. degree in 1884 and became Adjunct Professor in English and Modern Languages. While at Knoxville, Thomas also taught courses in Greek, Latin, French, German, and Natural history. At the same time, he developed an interest in ethnology and social science after reading Herbert Spencer's Principles of Sociology.
In 1888, Thomas married the first of his two wives, Harriet Park. During 1888/1889, he attended the German universities of Berlin and Göttingen to pursue studies of classic and modern languages. During his time in Germany, he also furthered his interest in ethnology and sociology under the influence of German scholars such as Wilhelm Wundt.
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