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The paper presents the address given by the author during the general session of the Midwest Sociological Society's 25th anniversary meeting on April 13, 1962, in Des Moines, Iowa. It discusses the author's experience with the society and his participation in its previous annual conferences. During his term as secretary of the society he has observed the changes in the structure and the functions of the society since its reorganization in 1937. The most important phenomenon having implications for a regional society is the decline in regionalism of American sociology. Regionalism, in the sense that it existed in 1937 has disappeared. The birth of the society have a significant impact on the origins of modern American sociology. The educational institutions established by notable members of the society have contributed to the production of doctor of philosophy degree in sociology.

The article discusses trends and issues affecting sociology during the 25-year existence of the Midwest Sociological Society. During the covered period the influence of the pioneers in the building of American sociology, though waning, was still directly transmitted through some of their students who held key positions in sociology departments in the Midwest. The generation that first established and manned sociology departments in the burgeoning universities and colleges of the Midwest was for the most part strongly imbued with the idea and ideal of social progress. In place of social philosophies built on dubious foundations, the discipline has a nascent but growing science. The new empiric mood and objective orientation expelled not only the sociology of progress but brought into considerable disrepute the sociology of reform. Ambilances about the trends affecting the discipline of sociology have been raised by problems precipitated by the onset of the space age and mass higher education.