Ernest W. Burgess

Born in Tilbury, Ontario, in 1886, Ernest W. Burgess grew up in the United States and studied at Kingfisher College before earning his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago in 1913. After teaching at several universities, he returned to Chicago in 1916 and became one of the central figures in its influential sociology department.

Burgess is best known for his work on urban sociology and human ecology. With Robert E. Park, he coauthored Introduction to the Science of Sociology in 1921, a book widely regarded as a classic, and he also collaborated on The City, a landmark work in urban studies first published in 1925. His research reached beyond the city as well, including important studies of the family and later work on aging and retirement.

He also served as the 24th president of the American Sociological Association. Remembered for combining close observation with broad social theory, Burgess helped establish ways of studying neighborhoods, migration, family life, and social change that still matter today.