William Foote Whyte

William Foote Whyte (June 27, 1914 – July 16, 2000) was an American sociologist chiefly known for his ethnographic study in urban sociology, Street Corner Society.

Whyte, from an upper-middle-class background, showed an early interest in writing, economics and social reform.

Rehabilitation was only partially successful; Whyte walked with a cane for the rest of his life, and used two arm crutches in his later years.

[1] Professor Whyte received his bachelor's degree in economics from Swarthmore College in 1936, and was selected for the Junior Fellows program at Harvard University,[1] where his landmark research was done.

Whyte served as the president of the American Sociological Association in 1981 and also of the Society for Applied Anthropology in 1964.