W.E.B. Du Bois

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois

• Born: February 23, 1868

• Died: August 27, 1963

Biography

W. E. B. Du Bois, was a sociologist and civil-rights leader. He received a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1895 and later he accepted a professorship at Atlanta University, where he conducted empirical studies on the social situation of African Americans (1897–1910). His famous book The Souls of Black Folk appeared in 1903. In 1910, he left teaching to become the NAACP’s director of research and editor of its magazine, Crisis (1910–34).

Connections to the Spencers

Du Bois was one of the earliest notable visitors to the Spencer residence. On a trip to Lynchburg,