Harry Kirke Wolfe

Harry Kirke Wolfe (10 November 1858-1918) was a prominent early American psychologist.

Education

Wolfe earned undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska in 1880, and his PhD under the supervision of Hermann Ebbinghaus and Wilhelm Wundt at the University of Leipzig in 1886. Wolfe's dissertation was on tonal memory, and he was only the second American student to earn a degree under Wundt (the first being James McKeen Cattell). [ [http://www.cwu.edu/~warren/calendar/cal0817.html August 17 in Psychology ] at www.cwu.edu]

Career

He founded the experimental psychology laboratory at the University of Nebraska, where he taught psychology and rose to the rank of Head of the Philosophy Department (under which Psychology was taught). He also helped to found "The American Journal of Psychology". He taught at the University of Nebraska until his death from a heart attack in 1918, which followed six weeks after he and other faculty were charged by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents with "hesitating, halting and negative support of the government" (during World War I).

Three of Wolfe's students later served as presidents of the American Psychological Association.

Quotes

"Too much obedience may ruin character, may dwarf the intellect, may paralyse the will of children and of adults."

References

* Benjamin, Ludy T. (1991). "Harry Kirke Wolfe: pioneer in psychology". Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0803211961 9780803211964

External links

* [http://www.nebpress.com/700/wolfe.php Short bio of Wolfe]
* [http://psycweb.unl.edu/psypage/dynamic.asp?dir=dept&page=about.htm Longer bio of Wolfe]
* [http://www.cwu.edu/~warren/calendar/cal1110.html Brief note from APA about Wolfe]
* [http://www.dailynebraskan.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=e3cb6f5a-29b3-4337-9339-9bea8d8f7d74 article partly about Wolfe]
* [http://www.ithaca.edu/beins/gsh/hkw_bio.htm another bio of Wolfe]