This award honors Charles U. Smith’s lifelong commitment to the traditions and legacies of the three great sociologists for whom the award is named.  These traditions—of research, advocacy, and teaching in the cause of racial justice and social equality—are greatly exemplified by “C.U.’s” lifetime of professional activities. Smith has been an active researcher and public voice in the field of the sociology of race from the 1950s onward.  He has also been a strong civil rights advocate whose writings on black protest, civil rights, the psychic costs of segregation, integration and segregation in the schools, and changing U.S. race relations have shaped our thinking and public policy. As activist and advocate, “C.U.” has conducted numerous institutes and programs to facilitate desegregation. As a teacher and academic leader, Smith himself has mentored many students who later became distinguished sociologists in their own right.