Celebrating the Legacy of William 'Bill' Falk

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and the UMD community mourn the loss of our colleague, leader and friend, Professor Emeritus of Sociology William “Bill” Falk, who died in March 2025. BSOS offers our condolences to all of Bill’s family, friends, colleagues, and former students; and most especially his wife, Geraldine. Bill was most recently a resident of Stuart, Fla.

A prolific sociologist, Bill focused on facets of the American South, especially the rural South. His scholarship focused on forms of structural inequality, including analyzing school desegregation and regional economic development. His curriculum vitae is a testament to his broad range of interests, his travels, his studies, and his dedication to the field of sociology.

In 1986, Bill joined UMD as chair of the Department of Sociology, and helped to strengthen faculty recruitment efforts, as well as reputation-building efforts. He fostered a spirit of mentorship in the department. He served as chair of Sociology for two separate tenures, and also served as interim chair of what is now the Department of African American and Africana Studies, supporting that department at a critical time in its growth.

“I learned a lot from Bill, who took time to serve as something of a senior advisor to me despite the fact that we were in different disciplines and different departments. He not only had a good sense of human behavior, but he had a perspective on broader college and campus politics I had never experienced,” said Professor Emeritus of Government and Politics Wayne McIntosh, who twice served BSOS as interim dean. “Bill was an excellent mentor, and was especially encouraging to sociology graduate students, even after he retired. I am sure that many in BSOS who have been around a while could tell a story or two about Bill; there is no doubt that he could be a ‘character.’ But in the end, I hope no one ever forgets that he truly cared.”

Among his numerous publications are the co-edited volume “Communities of Work: Rural Restructuring in Local and Global Contexts” (Ohio University Press, 2003) and the monograph “Rooted in Place: Family and Belonging in a Southern Black Community (Rutgers University Press, 2004). 

In recognition for his many contributions to academia, to the university, and to the college, Bill was awarded the BSOS Dean’s Medal in 2012, upon his retirement. 

“Very few people provide constructive criticism the way Bill did,” recalled Distinguished University Professor Emerita of Sociology Sonalde Desai. “When I was promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor, in my meeting with him as a chair, he said that the one critical comment on my package was that I had no NIH grants, and offered to help me in any way to get a grant proposal submitted. It was such a supportive way of nudging me in a direction that was to shape my subsequent career.”

Desai also recalls that Falk was instrumental in encouraging her to pursue boating, which became a post-retirement passion that she shared with Bill, an avid boat enthusiast.

“He will be much missed,” Desai said. 
 

Published on Tue, Apr 8, 2025 - 9:55AM