G. Stanley Hall
G. Stanley Hall (1844–1924) was a pivotal figure in the establishment of psychology as an academic discipline in the United States. Initially a theology student, his academic journey shifted towards philosophy and psychology, influenced by Wilhelm Wundt's foundational works. Hall completed one of the first American doctorates in psychology at Harvard University, where he was encouraged by William James to further his studies before pursuing his dream of studying in Germany with Wundt. After gaining international experience, he taught at Harvard and then joined Johns Hopkins University in 1881, where he created a notable psychology laboratory.
In 1887, Hall founded the American Journal of Psychology and later became the first president of Clark University, where he served until 1920. His leadership at Clark was marked by personal tragedy, including the loss of his wife and daughter, yet he played a crucial role in American psychology, notably by inviting influential figures like Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung to speak at a major conference in 1909. Hall's impact on the field is underscored by his mentorship of numerous doctoral students, solidifying his legacy in the development of psychology in America. He passed away in 1924, bequeathing his estate to Clark University.
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Subject Terms
G. Stanley Hall
American psychologist, journal editor, and university president
- Born: February 1, 1844
- Birthplace: Ashfield, Massachusetts
- Died: April 24, 1924
- Place of death: Worcester, Massachusetts
Type of psychology: Developmental psychology
Hall was a pioneer in the study of adolescent psychology and, through the professional journals that he edited, in introducing Freudian psychoanalysis to the United States.
Life
Much of the credit for introducing the academic study of psychology to the United States belongs to G. Stanley Hall, who began his career as a student of theology. His academic interests turned to philosophy and later to psychology, a pursuit that consumed him after reading some of Wilhelm Wundt’s seminal writing in psychology. Although he wanted to go to Germany immediately to study with Wundt, his major professor at Harvard University, William James, persuaded him to remain at Harvard to complete one of the first American doctorates in psychology.
After receiving his degree in 1878, Hall fulfilled his dream of studying with Wundt, going to Leipzig, Germany, to undertake postdoctoral work with Wundt and other notable European psychologists. After returning to the United States, he taught briefly at Harvard before moving to Johns Hopkins University in 1881, where he established an outstanding American psychology laboratory. In 1887, he founded the American Journal of Psychology.
In 1888, he became the founding president of Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he remained until his retirement in 1920. His tenure at Clark was often troubled and was clouded by the accidental deaths of his wife and daughter in 1890. Nevertheless, in 1909, he brought Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung to the dicennial conference that he organized at Clark, thereby introducing them to American audiences.
By 1893, Hall had supervised the doctoral studies of eleven of the fourteen Americans holding doctorates in psychology. By 1898, thirty of the fifty-four American doctorates in psychology had been earned under Hall’s supervision. Hall died in 1924 and left his entire estate to Clark University.
Bibliography
Hothersall, David. History of Psychology. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.
Hulse, Stewart H., and Bert F. Green, eds. One Hundred Years of Psychological Research in America: G. Stanley Hall and the Johns Hopkins Tradition. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1986.
Rosenzweig, Saul. Freud, Jung, and Hall, the King-Maker: The Historic Expedition to America (1909) and G. Stanley Hall as Host. St. Louis: Rana House, 1992.
Ross, Dorothy. G. Stanley Hall: The Psychologist as Prophet. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1972.