Commitment to her field was a significant part of Dr. Ann Louise Page’s life. Ann was born on December 10, 1946, in Huntington, West Virginia. She received a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Marshall University, where she studied population mortality trends in the state and completed her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Tennessee with a dissertation titled, “Energy Policy and Ruling Class Hegemony: The Dissemination of Corporate Policy Preferences via Teachers and Textbooks.” Ann then created a life-long career at Appalachian State University, teaching Sociology for over 30 years when she retired as a full professor in 2009.
Ann was a prolific researcher having published many scholarly articles and delivered numerous presentations. She has been cited for her research in numerous professional journals as her teaching and research spanned the sociological spectrum. She also taught a variety of courses covering a range of topics, including marriage and the family; social stratification; social change; Appalachian culture and medical sociology. She was also an active member of the American Sociological Association, Southern Sociological Society, Sociologists for Women in Society and the Society for the Study of Social Problems.
Before her passing in 2020, Ann made provisions through her estate planning to financially support the Department of Sociology. The Ann Louise Page Endowment for Excellence in Sociology has been established as a result. The endowment will recognize Ann's outstanding contributions to research by providing financial support for student research efforts and achievements. Scholarship awards for Ann Louise Page Scholars will also be provided through the endowment. In addition, the fund will provide support for recipients of the Ann Louise Page Faculty Award. This award will recognize the research excellence of a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member within the Department of Sociology by providing funding for research-related expenses.
Dr. Cameron Lippard, chair of the Department of Sociology and alumni of Appalachian, stated, “I was fortunate to be one of Dr. Page’s students during a research course. She always showed a real passion for the discipline and demonstrated how scientific research could be used to answer any question about society or human behavior. This passion and dedication will now live on in student and faculty research through her generous donation.”
Through Ann’s gift, her contributions to research and teaching will continue to impact the Appalachian Community for years to come. Many thanks to her colleagues, Drs. Faye Sawyer and Janice Rienerth who provided support and companionship over the years, in addition to facilitating Ann’s endowment after her passing.
“We are so appreciative of Ann’s estate gift in support of the Department of Sociology,” said Dr. Neva Specht, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “She was such an important part of the department and this endowment is a fitting tribute to her contributions. I also appreciate Drs. Sawyer and Rienerth. As close colleagues of Ann’s, they demonstrate the strong community of scholars in the College of Arts and Sciences and especially in the Department of Sociology.”
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About the Department of Sociology
The Department of Sociology offers a Bachelor of Arts and six Bachelor of Science concentrations (applied research methods; criminology, deviance and law; families and intimate relationships; health and aging; social inequalities; and individually designed, which requires departmental approval). The department also offers minors in sociology and health and aging, plus two online graduate certificates: aging, health and society, and sociology. Learn more at https://soc.appstate.edu.
By Ellen Gwin Burnette
June 15, 2021
BOONE, NC
Ann Page, an instructor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Appalachian State University (1967-2009) for 1978-79. University Archives.
This image shows Ann Page, an instructor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Appalachian State University (1967-2009) for 1978-79. This image appears in the 1978-79 Faculty Pictorial Directory (p. 28). Source: News Bureau Faculty and Staff Biographical File, 2004.265, Box 1, Pictorial Directory--1978-79, C11.1.2.1.