Norman Ryder Papers 1916-2004 (mostly 1960-1980)

Summary

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Overview

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Abstract

Norman Ryder (1923-2010) was a demographer and sociologist who conducted a series of ground-breaking studies on birth-rates and fertility. The collection covers the years 1916-2004, with the bulk of the materials dating from the 1960s through the 1980s. Included are published and unpublished material by Norman Ryder and publications featuring Ryder's work as well as personal and professional correspondence, research notes, and photographs.

Description

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Description

The collection covers the years 1916-2004, with the bulk of the materials dating from the 1960s through the 1980s. Included are published and unpublished material by Norman Ryder and publications featuring Ryder's work as well as personal and professional correspondence, research notes, and photographs.

Collection Creator Biography

Norman Ryder (1923-2010) was a demographer and sociologist who conducted a series of ground-breaking studies on birth-rates and fertility. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, he earned a bachelor's degree from McMaster University and a master's degree from the University of Toronto, both in political economy. After being commissioned in the Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, he came to Princeton, where he received a master's in economics in 1949 before earning his doctorate in sociology. During the 1940's and 1950's he aided in the cultivation of the "cohort" approach to research. This method involved the long-term observation of subjects who were born in the same time period and shared common experiences. In 1956 he joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin, where he founded the Center for Demography and Ecology. During his time as a professor at Princeton, where he taught for eighteen years, he and Charles Westoff also founded and directed The National Fertility Studies. These studies, conducted in 1965, 1970, and 1975, shed new light on the sexual attitudes and contraceptive practices of American women. The works of Ryder and Westoff continue to be used as a model for fertility studies today.

Collection History

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Acquisition

Gift of Anne Poulter in 2010 [ML.2010.23].

Access and Use

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Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Curator of the Public Policy Papers. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Preferred Citation

Norman Ryder Papers; 1916-2004 (mostly 1960-1980), Public Policy Papers, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

Find More

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Topics

• Demography

Subject Terms

• Birth control
• Contraception
• Fertility, Human
• Ryder, Norman B., 1923-
• United States

Contents and Arrangement

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Arrangement

The order of materials at the time of their transfer has been retained.