Legacy of a Humanist Sociologist

Abstract

Ray P. Cuzzort (1926–1999) was a well-known and highly regarded member of the Association of Humanist Sociology during his career. His book, Using Social Thought: The Nuclear Issue and Other Concerns received the 1989 Association of Humanistic Sociology Award. On the 25th anniversary of this prestigious award, it is most appropriate to revisit his contributions to the field. Cuzzort was a humanistic sociologist. He decried the paradox that we are more capable of dealing with the mysteries of the universe than we are with the complexities of ourselves and our social systems. This article gives an overview and a sampling of R. P. Cuzzort’s contributions to humanism and sociology. I had the rare privilege of being his colleague, friend, and coauthor for three decades. This memorial article recalling Ray Cuzzort seems all the more fitting in this second decade of the twenty-first century and the 25th year of his honor from the Association.