Rodney G. Higgins (1911–1964) was an Americanpolitical scientist. He was the chair of the political science department atSouthern University from 1946, two years before the department awarded its first degree, until 1964. Higgins and has been credited with laying a foundation for the social sciences at Southern University. He was the namesake of the Rodney G. Higgins Hall for Social Sciences at Southern University.

Higgins was born in 1911^[2] and grew up inSt. Louis, Missouri.^[1] He attended Southern Illinois Teachers College, where he graduated with a B.Ed. degree in 1935.^[1] He then attended theUniversity of Iowa,^[3] where he obtained an M.A. in 1936 and a Ph.D. in 1940, both in political science.^[1] Higgins joined theUnited States Army in 1943, and in 1944 he joined theAmerican Red Cross.^[1]

Higgins subsequently became a professor at Southern University. He was chair of the department from 1946 to 1964.^[3] This made him central to the development of political science and other social sciences at Southern University, which awarded its first degree in political science in 1948.^[3] During Higgins's time as chair, the department awarded hundreds of degrees.^[3] According to Southern University'sSouthern Digest, Higgins "established a foundation for not only Political Science at Southern, but also Sociology, History, Economics and Geography".^[1] As a researcher Higgins made contributions to journals includingUniversity of Iowa Studies and theQuarterly Review of Higher Education among Negroes.^[1]

The Rodney G. Higgins Hall for Social Sciences at Southern University was named after Higgins.^[1] Higgins is also the namesake of the Rodney Higgins Best Faculty Paper Award given annually by the National Conference of Black Political Scientists.^[4] Higgins was particularly noted as a teacher and as an advisor, and several prominent political scientists identified him as the person who first made them consider studying politics.^[5] His students includedJewel Prestage,^[6]Lucius Barker,^[5] andShelby F. Lewis.^[4]

Higgins died in 1964.^[2] He remained chair of the political science department at Southern University until his death.^[3]

• 1911 births
• 1964 deaths
• African-American political scientists
• People from St. Louis
• University of Iowa alumni
• Southern University faculty
• 20th-century African-American scientists
• 20th-century American political scientists

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles with hCards