In the beginning of the 19th century, society’s expectation of women was to be weak, dependent, fragile, and inferior to men. Females were not expected to excel academically, and if they attempted to obtain an education they were putting their lives in jeopardy (Simonton, 2002). Many women fearlessly accepted the risks with hard work, perseverance and determination. One such woman was Margart Floy Washburn: a psychologist, a doctor of philosophy, researcher, author, and higher academic instructor. The purpose of this paper is to explore diverse aspects of Ms. Washburn’s life and what contributed to her accomplishments and why she is known as one of the pioneers in psychology.
Margaret F. Washburn
(1871-1939)
Family Background An American feminist psychologist, Margaret Floy Washburn, a descendent from…show more content… After three months of her being persistent and determined to do what it takes to be accepted, the school allowed her to be an observer in Cattell’s lectures (Dallenbach, 1940). In those days, being a woman and being admitted into a graduate program was a surmountable defeat for women at that time. Although Washburn was pursuing her interest with courageous efforts, she became a trailblazer for women to obtain equal educational opportunities in academia and society (Boles, 1993). After a year under the direct guidance and influence of Dr. Cattell, he recommended her to apply to Cornell University where women were being accepted for degree candidacy and graduate scholarship (O’Connell, & Russo, 1990). At Cornell University, she would study and work under the supervision of Edward B. Titchener at the Sage School of Philosophy. In the summer of 1894, she would become the first woman to receive her Ph.D. in Psychology from Cornell (Boles, 1993). Personality
