ABSTRACT
My experience in World War II was different, I believe, from that of most social scientists who entered government service. For many years I had been an officer of the Naval Reserve, so that when the time came, instead of being assigned to some such field as public opinion analysis or military government, which were obviously related to sociology as an academic discipline, I was sent to sea as an ordinary line officer. And out of four and a half years on active duty, more than two were spent in command of small ships engaged in antisubmarine warfare and the escort of convoy operations. Looking back on it, I feel that I was extremely lucky to have had this kind of responsibility, but I am not indulging in reminiscence for its own sake. If, in the end, sociology does not teach students something they can actually use in handling men effectively, it is nothing. Eventually we must be able to do that, or we shall not be worth our salt. I wish we could say that we do it now. I myself learned much from sociology which made me a more effective sea captain than I should otherwise have been. The point I am making here is that I did not do a better job than the young man who was educated, intelligent, sensitive—who was, as we used to say, “a good joe”—but who had not been exposed to social science. We do not yet teach leadership. It must be taught, soon and well, if we are to train the men who will hold our industrial civilization together.
