Howard W. Odum

Howard Washington Odum (May 24, 1884 – November 8, 1954) was a white American sociologist and author who researched African-American life and folklore.

With doctorates in psychology and sociology, he wrote extensively across academic disciplines, influencing several fields and publishing three novels in addition to 20 scholarly texts.

[3] Working as a teacher, he collected material on Black folk lore and songs for two dissertations while completing his master's at University of Mississippi.

He wrote three novels in addition to more than 20 scholarly texts, was President of the American Sociological Association in 1930, and was also a founding member of the Southern Regional Council.

[6] Odum was known for collecting extensive facts, ranging from oral history (including documentation of folk songs) to agricultural data.

His sons Eugene and Howard T. Odum both became ecosystem ecologists, and frequently cited their father's holistic inquiry as an important influence in their own understanding of emergent properties and other ecological concepts.

Odum's views on race progressed over time, and ultimately, he was a leader, documenting folk life, hate crimes/lynchings, and the rich oral histories of African-American communities in the South.