William Chambliss

William Chambliss
William J. Chambliss
Born
William Joseph Chambliss

1933
Died(2014-02-22)February 22, 2014 (age 80)
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of California, Los Angeles (B.A., 1955), Indiana University (Ph.D., 1962)
Spouse(s)Louisa Mackie (divorced), Pernille Baadsager Chambliss (married until his death)
Children3
AwardsLifetime Achievement Awards from the Criminology section and the Sociology of Law section of the American Sociological Association
Scientific career
FieldsCriminology, sociology
InstitutionsGeorge Washington University
Thesis The selection of friends  (1962)

William Joseph Chambliss (1933 – February 22, 2014) was an American criminologist and sociologist. He was a professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at The George Washington University for over 20 years. He was a pioneer of the conflict theory (social theory) which concluded, among other things, that conflict between different social classes is the fundamental force in capitalist societies. In addition to his transformative scholarly contributions, he was a teacher-scholar and mentor to many of today’s leading criminologists and sociologists.