This video is a recording of a live event held on January 21, 2021 in remembrance of Professor Richard Taub.
Professor Emeritus of the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago, sociologist of urban, rural, and community economic development, died peacefully on August 19, 2020, at his home in Santa Fe. His career at the University of Chicago (1969 - 2016) impacted a range of departments and programs, including Sociology, Comparative Human Development, and Public Policy. Over a 50-year career at the University, he expanded his research to urban sociology in Chicago, becoming a leading proponent of immersive fieldwork in the city in which he lived and worked. His multiple publications explored the factors that lead to the maintenance, decline, and reinvigoration of communities.
Professor Taub inspired generations of students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, serving as a valued mentor, dedicated advisor, and strong champion of promoting greater racial and ethnic diversity in all parts of the academic world. He was committed, both inside and outside of academia, to seeking real-world policy solutions to the challenges facing underserved communities.

Program | Original Event held January 21, 2021
Welcome
Maurice Charles, Dean, Rockefeller Chapel
Remarks
Amanda Woodward, Dean, Division of the Social Sciences and William S. Gray Distinguished Service Professor of Psychology
Ralph Nicholas, William Rainey Harper Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and of Social Sciences in the College
Elisabeth Clemens, William Rainey Harper Distinguished Service Professor of Sociology and the College
John Eason, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor, Emeritus, Department of Sociology, Harvard University
Musical Interlude
Remarks
John Boyer, Dean of the College and Martin A. Ryerson Distinguished Service Professor
Jim Leitzel, Executive Director of Public Policy Studies in the College
Chad Broughton, Associate Instructional Professor in the Social Sciences Collegiate Division
Omar McRoberts, Associate Professor of Sociology and the College
Musical Interlude
Remarks
Rick Shweder, Harold H. Swift Distinguished Service Professor of Human Development
Lara Perez-Felkner, Associate Professor of Higher Education, Florida State University
Betty Farrell, Richard’s wife, representing the family
Closing Words
Maurice Charles, Dean, Rockefeller Chapel