W. E. B. Du Bois and Atlanta University The
second department of sociology in the United States
was founded by W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963) at
Atlanta University. He created a laboratory of sociology,
instituted a program of systematic research,
founded and conducted regular sociological conferences
on research, founded two journals, and
established a record of valuable publications. His
classic work, Th e Philadelphia Negro: A Social
Study (1967/1899), was based on his research into
Philadelphia’s African American community and