Department of Sociology and Anthropology

1920s

1920 First sociology courses
1923 Department of Rural Sociology and History established
1925 Department of History and Sociology, Department of Rural Sociology
Department of History and Sociology formed when rural sociology curriculum was separated from the program. A separate Department of Rural Sociology was also created.
1926 First Ph.D. conferred
The first Ph.D. is conferred; Jesse Mowry receives the degree in the field of Rural Sociology.
1928 First female masters degree recipients
Lillian P. Wallace becomes the first woman to earn a masters degree in Education. She went on to publish several historical works on politics in Europe. Virginia F. Harris becomes the first woman to earn a masters degree in Rural Sociology.

1930 (circa) Rural Sociology Department merges with the Agricultural Economics Department
The result of this merger was the creation of the Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Department.
1937 History and Sociology curricula separated
Department of History and Sociology divided into two departments: Department of History and Department of Sociology.

1953 Department of Sociology renamed
Department of Sociology renamed the Department of Sociology and Anthropology

1965 First African American Instructor with Faculty Ranking
Dorothy Williams becomes the first African American instructor with faculty ranking, teaching in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
Dorothy S. Williams, NC State University Faculty
1966 Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Department of Rural Sociology merges with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, retaining the latter name.

1972 "In a Black Perspective" published
NC State publishes "In a Black Perspective." This pamphlet tallies the university's black community at nine professors and 222 students (out of a total 13,809), and lists courses focusing on black history and culture: two in Political Science and one on race relations in Sociology.