James Mckeen Cattell

Psychologist

Birthday May 25, 1860

Birth Sign Gemini

Birthplace Pennsylvania

DEATH DATE Jan 20, 1944 (83)

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About

Psychologist whose experiments in mental ability helped establish the field as a legitimate scientific discipline. The New York Times once called him "the dean of American science".

Before Fame

He published dozens of articles measuring human reaction times and memory, which he considered a proxy for intelligence.

Trivia

An outspoken opponent of American involvement in WWI, he was fired from his post at Columbia, but sued and won, which established the tradition of tenure to protect academics with unpopular beliefs.

Family Life

He married Josephine Owens, the daughter of an English merchant; they home-schooled their children before college age.

Associated With

Jean Piaget was another notable psychologist, who studied human intelligence - in his case, in children.