Robert O. Trout

For the American broadcast journalist, see Robert Trout.

Robert Oren Trout (August 4, 1904 – March 15, 1995)^[1] was an American sociologist whose principal academic career was based at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, where he was the longtime chairman of the Social Sciences Department.^[2]

Biography

Trout was the son of Otis James Trout and the former Minnie Railey. He was born in Girard, Louisiana, and reared in Union Parish, located north of Ruston.^[3] He graduated from Marion High School in the town of Marion.^[2] He procured his Bachelor of Arts in history in 1938 from Louisiana Tech and his Master of Arts in education in 1942 from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.^[3] He received his Ph.D from LSU on August 6, 1954. His dissertation is entitled "The People of the North Louisiana Hill Country," a reference to the 19th century settlers of his native region.^[4]

Trout began his career in Arkansas public schools, where he taught for nine years. From 1936-1939, Trout taught the seventh grade and served as a principal in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish west of Ruston. He then served from 1942-1946 in the United States Navy during World War II, stationed in the Central Pacific. Thereafter, he returned to Minden as a school principal^[3] but in 1947 joined the Louisiana Tech faculty with responsibilities in geography and sociology.^[4] He retired effective September 22, 1976.^[5] Trout held membership in Alpha Kappa Delta, the honor society for sociology, and Phi Delta Kappa, a society for educators.^[4] He was also affiliated with the Southwestern Sociological Association, the Southwest Social Sciences Association, and the Lions Club.^[3]

He is included in a past edition of Who's Who in the American Southwest. and Who's Who in America. To accommodate desegregation, Trout served on the Lincoln Parish Bi-Racial Committee. He also served on the board of the Ruston Housing Authority. In 1961, Trout was named the Louisiana delegate to the White House Conference on Aging.^[3] He frequently lectured at civic clubs and within the education system, often peppering his talks with sociological statistics that he had gathered and researched.^[2]

In 1952, Trout married the former Rita Virginia Galloway (1916-2013), a native of Arcadia in Bienville Parish who was a secretary to the president of Louisiana Tech from 1940 until her retirement in 1970. Trout had two step-daughters, Mary Virginia Cage and Barbara Sue Bowman, both of whom are deceased.^[6]

References