William Graham Sumner

Born on October 30, 1840, in Paterson, New Jersey, he became an American clergyman, teacher, and social scientist whose career bridged religion, economics, and the emerging field of sociology. He studied at Yale and later taught there, eventually holding what is widely described as the first professorship in sociology in the United States.

He was especially known for his strong defense of laissez-faire ideas, his criticism of imperialism, and his interest in the social habits and customs he called "mores." Alongside public lectures and essays, he wrote books that explored economics, social class, and the pressures modern societies place on ordinary citizens.

By the time of his death on April 12, 1910, he had become one of the best-known American intellectuals of his era. His work remains important not because every reader agrees with him, but because he asked big questions about freedom, responsibility, government, and social change in a direct and memorable way.