PREFACE 



THE plan of this dissertation was conceived in 1911, as 

 a result of reading the fascinating pages of Professor 

 Lester F. Ward's Applied Sociology. Ward's work was 

 based on an inductive study of the nature and nurture of 

 French men of letters, Alfred Odin's Genese des Grands 

 Hommes. Ward had been profoundly impressed by Odin's 

 work. In the Applied Sociology he suggested the desir- 

 ability of making other inductive studies which should be 

 modeled after Odin's, and applied to many nations and 

 fields of activity. 



When this study was undertaken, the author believed 

 that the opinions advanced in Ward's work were in every 

 way justified by the evidence. Results attained in his own 

 work, however, have convinced him that nurture is not 

 predominant over nature to the extent that Ward sup- 

 posed. Nevertheless he still agrees that Ward's plea for 

 the socialization of opportunity is quite warranted. If this 

 study in any way strengthens the case for the extension of 

 opportunity to any who are at present denied their birth- 

 right, he will feel that the work has served its purpose. 



In conclusion, acknowledgments are due; first, to the 

 many authors and relatives of authors who courteously an- 

 swered the questionnaire sent to them; second, to teach- 

 ers in Columbia and colleagues in Hamilton College who 

 reviewed the statistical aspects of the work, and finally, to 

 Dr. Alvan A. Tenney of Columbia University, for his con- 

 structive criticism and generous advice. 



E. L. C. 



JANUARY, 1916. 



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