Small, Albion W(oodbury) (1854–1926)

US sociologist. He worked at the University of Chicago 1892–1926, founding and developing the first US sociology department as a major academic centre. He came to be regarded as a founder of American sociology, launching and editing the American Journal of Sociology 1895–1926, and publishing more than 300 articles and books.

He was born in Buckfield, Maine. He taught history and political economy at Colby College (Maine) before serving as its president 1889–91. His works include General Sociology (1905) and Between Eras: From Capitalism to Democracy (1913).