The Samuel W. Blizzard papers

"Samuel W. Blizzard was a central figure during the 1950s and 1960s in developing the practical application of sociology to church policy and programs, the analysis of the minister’s role, and the design of theological education.” Bouma, Gary D.. 1981. “Samuel W. Blizzard (1914-1976) Sociologist, Theological Educator and Border Broker: An Appreciative Evaluation”. Review of Religious Research 23 (2). [Religious Research Association, Inc., Springer]: 205–13. doi:10.2307/3511929

The papers of Samuel W. Blizzard (1914-1976) reflect Mr. Bouma’s assessment. Beginning with his theological training at Princeton Theological Seminary (ThB 1939; ThM 1941) and his training as a sociologist in the rural sociology tradition of Cornell University (PhD 1946), the papers reflect the man’s singular devotion to rural sociology and the integration of sociological theories and practice in the life of the church.

Samuel W. Blizzard taught at Pennsylvania State University and Union Theological Seminary in New York. He also served as the director of both the Russell Sage Foundation’s Training for the Ministry Project (1953-1960) and the National Council of Churches Clergy Research Project (1957-1958). He returned to Princeton Seminary in 1957 and was made the Maxwell M. Upson Professor of Christianity and Society. He co-authored, with Emory J. Brown, The Church and the Community and contributed essays and articles to more than 40 books, scholarly journals, and popular periodicals. Dr. Blizzard retired from active teaching in 1975 and died in Princeton on April 6, 1976 following a long illness.