May 20-21, 2004

ITEM 123-1002-R0504  Authorization to Confer the Title of Professor Emeritus of Sociology upon William M. McBroom; The University of Montana-Missoula

THAT: William H. McBroom, Professor of Sociology, currently in his thirty-sixth year of dedicated service to The University of Montana, has merited the commendation of the Board of Regents of The Montana University System, and has earned the title of Professor of Sociology Emeritus.

EXPLANATION: Dr. William H. McBroom earned his B.Sc. in Psychology and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Sociology from The Ohio State University in 1960, 1962, and 1968, respectively. He joined the faculty at The University of Montana as an Assistant Professor in 1968 and has served here continuously since that time. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1972 and Full Professor in 1977. In his distinguished career of teaching, research, and service, Dr. McBroom focused his work in the areas of Social Psychology, Research Methods, Adult Socialization, Social Stratification, and the Holocaust.

Dr. McBroom has a reputation as a dedicated teacher who maintains high standards. His classes are rigorous and meticulously crafted. His research and writing on effective teaching are well known among sociologists. He often used his skills as a teacher to develop training materials for state workers.

Dr. McBroom was the frequent recipient of research grants and contracts and is widely published in Sociology. Often working with his longtime collaborator, Professor Emeritus Fred Reed, Dr. McBroom has written journal articles and reports on such diverse topics as the teaching profession, corporate communication, access to healthcare, fertility, infant mortality, sex role orientation, the link between attitudes and behavior, and the intergenerational transmission of status and values. In his book, Explaining the Holocaust: Behavior of Perpetrators, Victims and Bystanders (Academica Press, 2002), Dr. McBroom argued that the Holocaust can be understood using established principles from the social sciences rather than a unique explanation.

Dr. McBroom has been very generous in his service to the Sociology Department, the faculty, and The University of Montana. He served as Chair of the Department of Sociology from 1977 to 1979. He was a member of the Faculty Senate for more than 20 years and was Chair of the Senate in 2000-2001. He served on many standing and ad hoc committees of the Faculty Senate and the University, including the Executive Committee of the Senate, the Strategic Budget and Planning Committee, and the Graduate Council. He was on the bargaining team of the University Teachers Union (University Faculty Association) for three terms and was chief negotiator for one of those terms. He was the University Teachers' Union President from 1997 to 1998. In recognition of his distinguished record of service, Dr. McBroom was awarded the University of Montana Faculty Service Award in 2002.

The Department of Sociology is honored to recommend Professor William H. McBroom for Emeritus status.