Sutherland, Edwin Hardin

Sutherland, Edwin Hardin

(1883–1950) sociologist, criminologist; born in Gibbon, Nebr. Son of a college president, he taught longest at the University of Indiana (1935–50), chairing the sociology department (1935–49). His textbook, Criminology (1924), became a standard, undergoing four editions by 1947. This work codified the "multiple factors" known to be associated with crime and criminality and argued that criminal behavior was learned. He shattered the class-oriented study of crime with The Professional Thief (1937) and White Collar Crime (1949), coining the term "white collar crime."