This fall Pitrim Sorokin has come to Harvard bringing with him an international reputation as an eminent sociologist. His appointment means more than the addition of a fine mind to the faculty, for besides his duties as a professor, he will undertake the important administrative post of Chairman of the Committee of Sociology and Social Ethics.

In the past the Social Ethics department has been a neglected makeshift composed of men from various allied fields without unity or central control. This lack of definite leadership has retarded progress, and crippled research. A few years ago some attempt was made to simplify this cumbrous arrangement by the introduction of the tutorial system, but even this failed to stimulate any original thought in the unwieldy organization.

As chairman of the department, Professor Sorokin will have an opportunity to combine his intimate knowledge of the subject with a definite authority, enabling him to bring about a centralization and unity of purpose hitherto impossible. In other universities social ethics has made rapid strides in the past few years, and in many ways the research in this field is the most important now being undertaken by scholars. With the proper facilities at hand there is no reason why Harvard should not now develop an intelligent department which will be able to make contributions to the science of social development.