Robert Cooley Angell

Robert Cooley Angell (April 29, 1899 – May 12, 1984) was an American sociologist that is prominently known for his studies of individuals interacting in groups of people in a social environment. The groups included government units, families, the church, various businesses, and other associations.

Angell went to school at the University of Michigan and received a Ph.D in 1924. He was a professor at the University of Michigan and taught sociology in 1935. He held that position until 1969 where he then became professor emeritus.

His family was full of educators and many of them are Michigan graduates. One of his family members is former President James B. Angell (grandfather) and Professor Charles Horton Cooley (uncle). These men served a huge role in the upbringing of Robert and gave him role models to look up too. Professor Angell is prominently known for his career in the academic field and helping out many committees and Associations but he was extremely proud of his family. In December 1922 he married Esther Kennedy and shortly after had two children. Much of his free time consisted of hours at the tennis or squash courts and during the summer, him and his family would go spend time sailing on Barton Pond. A major turning point in Professor Angell’s life was when he made the decision to retire in 1969 but continued to teach and was a huge part in the introductory course at the University of Michigan. He was involved in many Associations, including the American Sociological Association, which he helped create materials for secondary schools in the Sociology Department

Robert Cooley Angell attended high school at Detroit Central High and graduated in 1917. Tennis was one of professor Angell’s favorite things to do and he was extremely active in the athletic world. As an undergraduate Angell was a member of the varsity tennis team for two years and served as a sports editor of the Daily. While he was an editor for the Daily, he attending many sporting events that only caused his love for sports to strengthen. One of his hobbies that Angell picked up later in life was the game of squash. He became quite good at the game and played many times in the winter, while in the warmer months stuck to tennis. Angell served in the Athletic Board where he helped make many key decisions for the expansion of the sports programs. Robert Cooley Angell received many years of education and is considered to be an extremely smart and influential person of his time. He started off his education at the University of Michigan were he got his undergraduate degree but was not sure of the path that he wanted to take. After he graduated in 1921, Angell went to Harvard Law School in hopes of getting a law degree from one of the most prestigious Universities in the World. After a semester at Harvard, Angell wanted to focuses his activities and studies on one thing and found his love for Sociology. He then returned to Michigan in search for his master's degree and received it in 1922. His education was not done there and a couple more years were required to earn his Ph.D. He stayed at the University of Michigan and spent a couple years earning his Ph.D, which came in 1924.

Some of the academic history that Cooley had is the instructor in Sociology from 1922–1926, assistant professor of Sociology from 1926–1930, associate professor from 1930–1935, professor, 1935 chairman of the department of Sociology from 1940–1952, acting director social science department from 1949–1950, co-director of the center for research on conflict resolution from 1961–1965, and the director of the college honors program from 1957-1961 all at the University of Michigan. The courses that he taught at the University of Michigan included “Structure of American Society”, “Proseminar in Sociological Research”, “Seminar in Social Integration”, “Concepts of Sociology”. During Angell’s years while working on his Ph.D, he became a faculty member at the University of Michigan. He was an instructor in Sociology in 1922 and also at that time, worked as Assistant to the Dean of Students. He learned many great tools and knowledge of leadership in that role and helped him become more important in the University for the future. During this time, Angell was a member of the Faculty due to earning the rank of Assistant Professor in 1926. So after a couple years of hard work with his Ph.D and working at the University he became a full-time faculty member. In 1930 he was awarded the position of Associate Professor and by 1935, Angell became a Professor at the University of Michigan and taught many students Sociology throughout his time. During these long years as working his way to being a Professor, Angell served as a member of multiple University committees. Some of these committees included, the Publications Board and the Athletic Board. These positions earned his experience and knowledge that helped him throughout his years as a professor. His love for sports was used while being apart of the Athletic Board where he made many decisions that has helped the Athletic programs During the times between Associate Professor and Professor, Angell conducted research in family law at Columbia but took most of his leaves of absence to go international and observe foreign systems in operation. This took place in the years of 1928-1929 and due to the abundance of travel that was taken place in Angell’s life; people respected his knowledge for not just national work but all around the world. One of his major trips was to Germany where he spent three months doing research and observing during anti-Semitic riots and after the Munich Pact. This experience helped Angell return home to the U.S. determined to prevent anything like what happened in Germany to the United States. One of the major roles that Angell had at his time at the University of Michigan was the President of the Ann Arbor co-operative Society. He had a huge belief is finding solutions for many of the ills of modern society. His passion for this allowed him to learn so much about so many different ills and help many people out with their troubles.

• Phi Beta Kappa
• Delta Kappa Epsilon
• Alpha Kappa Delta
• American Sociological Association
• Sociological Research Association
• Michigan Sociological Association
• Research Club
• American Association of University Professors President, International Sociological Association
• American Civil Liberties Union
• U.S. National Commission for UNESCO
• Member of American Delegations to UNESCO General Conferences in Paris in 1952 and in Motevideo in 1954

During the time of the World War, Professor Angell was in the middle of his academic career at the University of Michigan. In 1918, Angell entered the U.S. Army Air Service and received commission as 2nd Lieutenant in May 1919. That year, after serving in the Army, he returned to the University and graduated in 1921. Although being a part of the Army frightened Angell, being able to come back and get his degree was extremely important to him. Robert Cooley Angell earned a Bronze Star Medal in 1944 for serving his country

• 1918-1919 Aviation Cadet
• 1942-1943 Captain, U.S. Army Air Force
• 1943-1944 Major, U.S. Army Air Force
• 1944-1945 Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Air Force

• Deiches Lecturer, Johns Hopkins University, Spring, 1957
• Faculty Award for Distinguished Achievement, 1958
• Doctor of Humanities, Western Michigan. University, 1967

• The Student Mind, Ph.D, University of Michigan, pp. iii + 179. "Report on Methods in the University of Michigan, "(Mimeographed), University of Michigan, pp. 21;published as: "Increasing the Intellectual Interest of Students, "Mich. Alum., 31 (1924-25): 219-20, 230-32, 249, 254-56, 272-75.
• "Student Participation in the Solution of Curricular and Administrative Problems at Michigan, "Christian Ed., 10 (1927): 226-31
• The Campus: A study of Contemporary Undergraduate Life in the American University. New York and London: D. Appleton and Co., 1928, pp. ix + 239
• "The Roots of College Evils, " Forum, 79 (1928) : 419-26.
• "A Study in Undergraduate Adjustment, " Pub. Amer. Sociol. Soc., 23 (1929) : 181-86.