Ohlin, Lloyd E. (1918–)

Background and Early Academic Years

Lloyd E. Ohlin was born in Belmont, Massachusetts, on August 27, 1918, to Swedish immigrant parents. The second of four sons, he lived a middle-class [Page 275]lifestyle because of his father's successful bakery business. Ohlin's youngest brother died at age 7 due to a brain tumor, an event that would later lead to Ohlin's interest in psychology.

As he grew up, Ohlin demonstrated a passion for reading and was studious in school. After making his mark through excellence in the classroom and participation in track, Ohlin graduated from Belmont High School in 1936. The following summer, he enrolled in Brown University, his second choice of colleges to attend. His first choice, Harvard, was financially out of reach for his family, with his oldest brother already a student there. Because of this economic obstacle, Ohlin chose to attend Brown, which was near his home.

At Brown, Ohlin devoted himself to the study of sociology and psychology, while also participating in intercollegiate track. A former high school friend who was his college roommate had chosen sociology as a major, and this fostered Ohlin's interest in the study of sociology. His interest in psychology was motivated not only by the death of his younger brother but also by the literature itself. In 1940, Ohlin graduated from Brown University with honors, receiving a bachelor's degree in sociology and a minor in psychology.

While attending Brown, Ohlin developed an interest in the study of criminology through his contact with the new Chair of the Psychology Department, Walter Hunter. Ohlin eventually married Hunter's daughter, Helen, and the couple attended graduate school together in 1946 at the University of Chicago.

Ohlin believed the study of crime was intertwined with the fields of sociology and psychology. With this interest in the study of crime, Ohlin intentionally applied to the graduate program at Indiana University to study with Edwin Sutherland. Ohlin was accepted into the program, and his interactions with Sutherland significantly influenced his approach to criminology. In 1942, Ohlin received his master's in sociology from Indiana University. He then entered the military and was assigned to the counterintelligence corps in the European Theater. Ohlin credits his background in criminology as the reason for his assignment in military intelligence.

Ohlin also claims that much of his theorizing and work in criminology stems from his earlier days at Indiana University through his academic relationship with Nathaniel Kantor of the Psychology Department. This similar pattern of influence also occurred while Ohlin was working on his Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Chicago. During this particular experience, Ohlin met another professor who would influence his career—his Ph.D. adviser, Ernest Burgess.

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