Frank W. (Frank Wilson) Blackmar

Frank Wilson Blackmar (November 3, 1854 – March 30, 1931) was an American sociologist, historian, and educator. He is best known for his long career at the University of Kansas, where he taught history and sociology and helped build sociology into an academic discipline in its early years.

Before joining Kansas, he studied at Johns Hopkins University and earned his Ph.D. in 1889. He later became a prominent figure in the profession, serving as the ninth president of the American Sociological Society, now the American Sociological Association.

Blackmar also wrote and edited works on Kansas history and public institutions, including reference works that reflected his deep interest in the state's development. His career linked scholarship, teaching, and civic history at a time when sociology was still finding its place in American universities.