Robert O. Trout: Junior High School Teacher, Principal, Sociologist, and Veteran

Many talented educators distinguish themselves in their fields, and this is certainly the case for Robert Oren Trout, a junior high school teacher and principal who was also a prominent sociologist.

Robert Trout was born August 4, 1904, in Girard, Louisiana. Young Robert was raised in Union Parish and graduated from Marion High School in the town of Marion. After high school, Robert attended Louisiana Tech, where he earned his bachelor's degree in history in 1938. He earned his master's degree in education from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge in 1942, and completed the requiments for his doctorate degree in 1952.

Robert inaugurated his teaching career in 1936. He served in Arkansas public schools, where he taught seventh graders for nine years. During World War II, this junior high school teacher served a four-year stint in the US Navy. He was stationed in the Pacific Theater. After his discharge, Robert returned to the Arkansas school system to accept a position as a principal. In 1947, he joined the faculty at Louisiana Tech, where he specialized in geography and sociology. When the Supreme Court ordered desegregation of public schools, the community-minded former junior high school teacher served on the Bi-Racial Committe of Lincoln Parish. 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.

During his tenure at Louisiana Tech, Robert served as the chair of the Social Sciences Department. He was also a member of Alpha Kappa Delta, an honor society for sociologists, and Phi Delta Kappa, an honor society for educators. In addition, he was involved in the Southwestern Sociological Association, the Southwest Social Sciences Association, and the Lions Club. He often lectured at civic clubs and within the education system, frequently including sociological statistics he had personally gathered and researched.

Robert Trout retired from the teaching profesion in 1976. He passed away on March 15, 1995.