David Matza *59

David Matza, retired professor of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, died March 14, 2018, at age 87.

After graduating from the City College of New York in 1953, he earned a master’s degree in 1955 and a Ph.D. in 1959 in economics and sociology from Princeton. As a Princeton graduate student he co-authored “Techniques of Neutralization” with Professor Gresham Sykes, a groundbreaking work for viewing motivations and rationales of criminals. This highly influential theory continues to be applied and analyzed by sociologists, criminologists, and legal scholars.

In 1960, Matza joined the sociology department at Berkeley; he retired in 1992. During his early years at Berkeley, Matza published Delinquency and Drift (1964) and Becoming Deviant (1969), two works with a deep impact on the fields of criminology and delinquency. The 2017 Delinquency and Drift Revisited paid tribute to the enduring importance of Matza’s work.

In the words of colleagues and students, Matza was a “terrific mentor” and “wonderful teacher,” known for his approachability.

Matza is survived by three children and six grandchildren.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.