Ralph Spielman, Chair of the Department of Sociology (1958 - 1972).


Ralph Spielman's legacy lives on in the Spielman Memorial Lecture, devoted
to the "frontiers of social science" knowledge.  This lecture series has
brought some of the greatest scholars of the 20th century to campus, from
a wide variety of disciplines.  Each has contributed in important ways to
the sociological enterprise. Ralph's own interests were at the
intersection between sociology and biology. As Chair of the Sociology
Department, he reintroduced anthropology to the Bucknell curriculum after
a long hiatus. The importance of the intersection between sociology and
other disciplines is part of the tradition that continues in sociology at
Bucknell.  Today, for example, Bucknell offers a concentration in legal
studies as part of the sociology major.

Ralph Spielman was a great teacher, whose reputation spread far beyond
this institution.  When I was a graduate student at the University of
Michigan, I heard about Ralph's ability to inspire his students from Prof.
David Goldberg, one of his former students. Prof. Goldberg told me that if
I wanted to be in a department in which teaching was truly valued, then I
should consider applying to Bucknell to work with Ralph Spielman.


Matt Silberman
Professor of Sociology and
Coordinator of Legal Studies