Dr. William J. Chambliss, professor of sociology at The George Washington University, was a critical sociological theorist whose research has ranged broadly from studies of law creation and the legal system to participant observation studies of organized crime, policing, juvenile gangs, and the impact of social movements on political and economic change. Bill served as president of the Society for the Study of Social Problems and the American Society of Criminology. He has received numerous awards for his teaching and research including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Sociological Association, the Bruce Smith Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the prestigious Edwin H. Sutherland Award from the American Society of Criminology, and the PASS Award from the National Council on Crime.