Thorsten Sellin
Encyclopedia
Johan Thorsten Sellin was an American
sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania
, a penologist
and one of the pioneers of scientific criminology
.
in Västernorrland County
, Sweden
and came to Canada
with his parents when he was 17 years old. He received his bachelor's degree
from Augustana College
in Illinois when he was 19. He went on to receive a master's degree
and doctoral degree in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.
He taught at the University of Pennsylvania from 1922 until he retired in 1967. Dr. Sellin came to prominence in the 1920s and 30s for his studies in the use of criminal statistics at local, state, national and international levels, and later helped draft the U.S. Uniform Criminal Statistics Act in 1944.
An expert on crime statistics, he advised the Federal Bureau of Investigation
about statistical matters and was a consultant to the Bureau of the Census on criminal statistics. He also headed, or was a member of, various United Nations
panels of experts on criminological questions. Dr. Sellin was a visiting professor or lecturer at Princeton
, the University of California at Berkeley, Oxford
and other universities. He was president of the International Society of Criminology from 1956 to 1965 and secretary-general of the Bern-based International Penal and Penitentiary Commission from 1949 to 1951. Sellin also edited the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science for 39 years, from 1929 to 1968.
During his professional career, he received numerous honors including the honorary doctorates of Leiden, Copenhagen
and Brussels
. The University of Pennsylvania Sellin Center for Studies in Criminology and Criminal Law is named for him. Dr. Sellin died in Gilmanton, New Hampshire
at the age of 97.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, a penologist
Penology
Penology is a section of criminology that deals with the philosophy and practice of various societies in their attempts to repress criminal activities, and satisfy public opinion via an appropriate treatment regime for persons convicted of criminal offenses.The Oxford English Dictionary defines...
and one of the pioneers of scientific criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
.
Biography
Sellin was born in ÖrnsköldsvikÖrnsköldsvik
Örnsköldsvik is a locality and the seat of Örnsköldsvik Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 28,617 inhabitants in 2005.Its natural harbour and archipelago is in the Gulf of Bothnia and the northern boundaries of the High Coast area. It is well known as an exporter of paper products...
in Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Province :...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and came to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with his parents when he was 17 years old. He received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Augustana College
Augustana College (Illinois)
Augustana College is a private liberal arts college located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. The college enrolls approximately 2,500 students. Covering of hilly, wooded land, Augustana is adjacent to the Mississippi River...
in Illinois when he was 19. He went on to receive a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
and doctoral degree in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.
He taught at the University of Pennsylvania from 1922 until he retired in 1967. Dr. Sellin came to prominence in the 1920s and 30s for his studies in the use of criminal statistics at local, state, national and international levels, and later helped draft the U.S. Uniform Criminal Statistics Act in 1944.
An expert on crime statistics, he advised the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
about statistical matters and was a consultant to the Bureau of the Census on criminal statistics. He also headed, or was a member of, various United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
panels of experts on criminological questions. Dr. Sellin was a visiting professor or lecturer at Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, the University of California at Berkeley, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and other universities. He was president of the International Society of Criminology from 1956 to 1965 and secretary-general of the Bern-based International Penal and Penitentiary Commission from 1949 to 1951. Sellin also edited the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science for 39 years, from 1929 to 1968.
During his professional career, he received numerous honors including the honorary doctorates of Leiden, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. The University of Pennsylvania Sellin Center for Studies in Criminology and Criminal Law is named for him. Dr. Sellin died in Gilmanton, New Hampshire
Gilmanton, New Hampshire
Gilmanton is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,777 at the 2010 census. Gilmanton includes the villages of Gilmanton Corner and Gilmanton Ironworks...
at the age of 97.
Selected works
- Research memorandum on crime in the depression (1937)
- War and crime: A research memorandum (1942)
- The annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (1943)
- Some current issues in penal treatment (1950)
- The significance of records of crime (1951)
- The protective code: A Swedish proposal (1957)
- The death penalty: A report for the Model penal code project of the American Law Institute (1959)
- Constructing an index of delinquency: A manual (1963)
- Systems of reporting "crimes known to the police" in selected foreign countries (1967)
- The criminality of youth (1975)
Sources
- Wolfgang, Marvin E. (1968) "Thorsten Sellin and the Principal Trends in Modern Penology" in Wolfgang, Marvin E. (ed.) (1968) Crime and Culture: Essays in Honor of Thorsten Sellin Wiley, New York, pp. 3-10, ISBN 0-471-95958-8
- Charlesworth, James C. (1969) "The Academy Dips Its Colors to Dr. Sellin" Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 381: pp. iii-iv
- Pastor, Selma (1985) A Bibliography of the Publications of Professor Thorsten Sellin Center for Studies in Criminology and Criminal Law, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, OCLC 21939720
- Wolfgang, Marvin E. (1996) "Thorsten Sellin (26 October 1896 - 17 September 1994)" Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 140(4): pp. 581-586
- Benson, Adolph B. and Naboth Hedin, eds. (1938) Swedes in America, 1638-1938 (The Swedish American Tercentenary Association. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press) ISBN 978-0838303269