George Vold

George Vold, B.S. (1921) South Dakota State College, M.A. (1924) University of Chicago, Ph.D. (1930) University of Minnesota. Professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota (1927-1964). Expert in the fields of criminology, penal law, and recidivism. Published widely used textbook Theoretical Criminology (1958). Vold specialized in criminal sociology. His thesis was that individuals became criminals due to innate character flaw rather than by association with other criminals. In 1932 he wrote a report on Massachusetts state prisons. In 1934 he helped draft Minnesota's psychopathic personality law. As an adviser to the Minnesota Crime Commission, he was influential in drafting a report which became the basis for the state's prison reform.