Henry Allen Bullock

Henry Allen Bullock (May 2, 1906 – February 8, 1973) was an American historian and sociologist, the first African American to win the Bancroft Prize, and the first Black professor to be appointed to the faculty of arts and sciences at the University of Texas at Austin.

Personal life Henry Allen Bullock was born on May 2, 1906, in Tarboro, North Carolina as the son of Jesse Bullock and Aurelia Christmas.

Family Henry Allen Bullock became a father at age 18. His first documented son, John Francine Tolliver, was born October 30, 1924 in Tarboro, North Carolina. Bullock's eldest daughter, Marjorie Louise Beale, was born on September 19, 1927 in Norfolk, Virginia. James Leroy Newton, Bullock's second son, was born March 9, 1929 in Edgecombe County, North Carolina.

Henry Allen Bullock married Violet Harriet Bailey on January 25, 1930. Their son, Henry Allen Bullock Jr., was born on January 7, 1931 in Prairie View, Texas. Bullock later married Merle Louise Anderson on May 24, 1938. Merle gave birth to their two children: Rodney Bullock and Merle Bullock.

Death Henry Allen Bullock died on February 8, 1973, at the age of 66 due to a ruptured left ventricle. His funeral was held on February 12, 1973, in Houston, Texas. He was laid to rest in the Paradise South Cemetery in Pearland, Texas.

Research Dr. Bullock contributed to the fields of sociology and criminology during his lifetime. Just a few of his contributions to his degree field of sociology are Spatial Aspect of the Differential Birth Rate, A Comparison of the Academic Achievements of White and Negro High School Graduates, The Expansion of Negro Suffrage in Texas, Negro Higher and Professional Education in Texas, and The Availability of Education in the Texas Negro Separate School. His research focused on the acknowledgement of the hardships that Black Americans face in education and in the legal system. However, his most cited research studies are in the field of Criminology.

Research in criminology He wrote two studies in the subject of criminology. His study Significance of the Racial Factor in the Length of Prison Sentences discussed the idea that racial discrimination existed in criminal law which leads to a difference in criminal sentencing. He conducted his research study on 3,644 inmates at the Texas State Prison in Huntsville, Texas. His study found that factors of racial discrimination were found to significantly affect the length of prison time given to black individuals compared to their white counterparts.

His other study in criminology is Urban Homicide in Theory and Fact. He explores the theory that specific areas in any city are more likely to draw in individuals who, during their personal time, are more likely to commit an act of homicide or other criminal act. He conducted his research in the city of Houston, Texas in collaboration with the City Police Department, he received and reviewed over 500 cases of homicide from 1945 to 1949 but only used a sample of 489 cases after deciding that certain cases did not fit the criteria of the study. The study found that there was support for the theory that certain areas of socio-economic conditions and specific urban segregation did have higher rates of homicide compared to other areas that did not share those characteristics.

Community contributions Bullock testified for African American history to be included in Texas history textbooks and served on the Texas advisory committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. He was also the author of a regular column for the Houston Informer. In addition to this, he was a member of the Mayor's Commission on Crime and Delinquency for the City of Houston, Texas. He also presented at numerous conferences and schools sharing his research to other sociologists, students, and educators. Bullock's research on the economic status of the black population in Houston, Texas was featured in Time Magazine in August 1956.

Awards In 1968, Bullock won the Bancroft Prize from Columbia University for his work, A History of Negro Education in the South.

Works Urban Homicide in Theory and Fact A History of Negro Education in the South A Comparison of the Academic Achievements of White and Negro High School Graduates Significance of the Racial Factor in the Length of Prison Sentences Racial Attitudes and the Employment of Negroes The Black College and the New Black Awareness The Prediction of Dropout Behavior Among Urban Negro Boys Pathways to the Houston Negro Market The Texas Negro family : The Status of its Socio-economic Organization