Howard P. Becker
Encyclopedia
Howard Paul Becker was for many years professor of sociology
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
.
, a notoriously corrupt New York police
officer who went to the electric chair
for murder in July 1915, and Letitia Stenson, of Ontario
. His parents divorced six years after his birth and his mother remarried Becker's brother Paul.
Howard P. Becker was brought up in Reno
and Winnemucca, Nevada
. He is perhaps best remembered as the author of the book Man in Reciprocity. At the time of his death he had just been elected President of the American Sociological Association, and his Presidential Address, entitled "Normative Reactions to Normlessness", was delivered by his son, the historian Christopher Bennett Timmeh Becker.
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
.
Biography
Becker was the son of Charles BeckerCharles Becker
Charles Becker was a New York City police officer in the 1890s-1910s and who was tried, convicted and executed for ordering the murder of a Manhattan gambler, Herman Rosenthal in the Becker-Rosenthal trial. Becker was the first American police officer to receive the death penalty for murder...
, a notoriously corrupt New York police
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
officer who went to the electric chair
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
for murder in July 1915, and Letitia Stenson, of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. His parents divorced six years after his birth and his mother remarried Becker's brother Paul.
Howard P. Becker was brought up in Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
and Winnemucca, Nevada
Winnemucca, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,174 people, 2,736 households, and 1,824 families residing in the city. The population density was 867.5 people per square mile . There were 3,280 housing units at an average density of 396.6 per square mile...
. He is perhaps best remembered as the author of the book Man in Reciprocity. At the time of his death he had just been elected President of the American Sociological Association, and his Presidential Address, entitled "Normative Reactions to Normlessness", was delivered by his son, the historian Christopher Bennett Timmeh Becker.