Burgess, John William
Burgess, John William
(1844–1931) political scientist, educator; born in Giles County, Tenn. He almost singlehandedly advanced the field of political science to the academic arena. He chaired the first department of history and political science at Amherst College (1873–76) before moving to Columbia University in 1876. He helped establish Columbia's university status and served as dean (1909–12). A prolific writer and esteemed teacher, he wrote several works that focused on 19th- and early 20th-century U.S. history. He warned against centralized power and stressed the obligation of states to protect individual rights. His lectures are compiled in Political Science and Comparative Constitutional Law (1890).The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.