BURRHUS FREDERIC SKINNER

PPt by Dakota Kandler

Family Tree James Skinner (Fred’s Grandfather father side) Josephine Skinner(Grandmother father’s side)

Charles Burrhus (Mother’s side) Ida Burrhus (Mother’s side)

William Skinner (Father) Grace Skinner (Mother) Edward “Ebbie” Skinner (Brother, 2 years

younger)

Burrhus Frederic (Fred) Skinner

Born 1904 Spend first 18 years of his life in

Susquehanna, PA Lived next to Grand Street Cemetary

“Where children played among the departed”

James Skinner Arrived in America after Civil War Two-Half brothers Lived in NYC for a while, moved and settled

in Starrucca (Near Susquehanna) Met and Married Josephine Penn (Daughter

of an impoverish farmer)Temporarily moved to Amesbury, MA

○ Tried to find work but failed and moved back to Starrucca

Had William Skinner and moved to Susquehanna

James Skinner (cont)

Found “odd job” employmentUsually as a painter

Sported a “Handle-Bar Moustache”

Later would be enthused by his son’s legal careerWould even attend court cases

Eventually goes deaf

Josephine Penn

Cat-like face Childhood accident caused a permanent

limp Fred described her as “a woman who

had whiskers, used too much make-up, had frizzy hair, and later wore a wig”

Pretentious personalityWanted to conquer her lowly origin

Liked telling scatological jokes

Josephine Penn (cont)

Not adept at homeVegetation always diedPreserves would explode

Many others saw her as grandmotherly and generous

Charles Burrhus

Grew up 50 miles northeast of Susquehanna in Walton, NY

Enlisted in State’s Volunteer Infantry in Civil War.Came to Susquehanna to rebuild a bridgeMarried Ida Potter

Worked as a carpenter, and became shop foreman

Charles Burrhus (cont)

“Never turned gray” and spent half a century in his shop

Purchased several new automobiles back when owning one was exceptional

Always urged Fred to “break the rules and enjoy life”

Ida Potter

Decendent of Captain Potter from Revolutionary War

A very attractive womanLong skirts hid all but black-button shoesExcellent cook+needlework, reader of fictionOften sickEmphasized the shortness of lifeDied in 1923; left an unopenned letter for

William, who “read a few lines and angrily tossed it into the fire”

William Arthur Skinner

“the vehicle of his mother’s dreams and ambitions”

Salutatorian of High School classWorked as a draft’s man

○ Very little mechanical aptitude

Enrolled in Law School in NYSupported himself as a book keeper in half-

uncle’s store on BroadwayReceived written letter instead of diploma

William Skinner (cont) Became politically active for America’s Future

Gave highly praised speech for McKinley-Roosevelt Club at Montrose, the Sasquehanna County Seat

Spoke at Political Rallies through WWII Gained local prominance, was rendered

attractive to largest corporationBecoming dependant on accountants and lawyers

Caught eye of Eire Railroad Married Grace Madge Burrhus April, 1902.

Grace Madge Burrhus

Oldest of four children (3 years William’s junior)

Only she and her brother Harry survive to adulthood

“Chestnut hair and shapely figure” Many suitors

Wonderful contralto voice Local acclaims

○ Prospective musical career

Grace Madge Burrhus (cont)

Sang at Universalist Church benefit of 1896Sang in a local group and Opera

Kept newspaper clippings of her music triumphs

Attended Susquehanna High SchoolSalutatorian

Learned to type and shorthandSecretary to Mechanical Superintendent of Erie

RailroadSacrificed career after marrying William Skinner“Impressed by Skinner’s rising reputation”

Childhood

Fred and Ebbie grew up in an atmosphere where negative behaviors resulted in dire consequences to moral and physical healthMiddle class prominance

Equality not presentEbbie would get away with more than Fred

Grace passed a social code to Fred Used “tut-tut” as a warning when Fred did

something wrong

Childhood (cont)

Social Policing made Fred very sensitive to praise. Would play a part in his future psychology

research Fred generally tried to disguise ill

feelings toward mother

Adolescence

Fred was smitten by his mother’s romantic presenceDated girls who shared her physical traits

○ One shared her name

Ebbie shielded Fred from the overweaning attention he would have received if an only childCaptured almost all of parent’s affectionWas very popular in High School

Adolescence (cont) Fred read a lot of books

Francis Bacon Discovered Edwin Durning-Lawrence

Became uneasy with oppresive parents and community Would eventually rebel against the village

○ Never would really leave him

Felt his parents could not evaluate an experiment Gave them up as sources of praise, never found a

replacement Didn’t make a psychological connection at the time Felt his lack of connection with them made him into

something he was not

Adolescence (cont)

Fred had difficulty with girlsDated few women in High School

○ Unnamed Irish Catholic GirlRanked boys in school, determined their sexual

privilages- Wouldn’t let Fred “anywhere above the knee”

○ Margaret PersonsThe real love of his high school careerRelationship ended when he went to college

College Went to Hamilton College Entered a world where he didn’t have a

reputation that preceded him Would live here for four years

Considered it a more traditional America Was one of 111 incoming freshman Hamilton placed great emphasis in writing

and public speakingStudents needed to spend 3-4 weeks preparing

an oral presentation

College (cont) Fred discovered he was as not sophisticated

with language as he thought he wasMisprounounced “d” as “j” and “e” as “I”

○ Mortified him

Hamilton required pledging a fraternityPledged Beta Kappa (Local Fraternity)

○ Eventually became Lambda Chi AlphaChoice of fraternity demonstrated naïveté and

showed how little help his parents were○ Would still bother him in later years when asked

about the crowd he was a part of

College (cont) Was required to attend chapel daily Very few excused absences Fred joined Glee Club but didn’t help shaken

self confidence Had very average grades Was an excellent writer Found himself detached and unhappy with

his social and intellectual predicamentSuffering that year moved Fred toward

characteristics of an objective scientist

Tragedy April 7 Parents were at Sunday Service Ebbie needed to use bathroom

Remerged with excruciating headache and needed to lie down

Ebbie asked for doctor, but fainted before one arrived Food ran down mouth without constrictions of vomiting

Autopsy diagnosed as acute indigestion Fred showed report to Physician, diagnosed as

massive cerebral hemorrhage Was the start of the downfall of William Skinner’s

business

College (cont)

Returned to Hamilton in September for Year 2

Had connectionsFriends with “One of the most intellectually

accomplished and artistically cultivated families”

Arthur Percy Saunders○ College Dean and Chemistry Professor○ Drew students into a sophisticated

atmosphere

College (cont) More girls

High school mindset made him awkward with women○ Cynthia Ann

Whole campus knew of his crush His love was “deep and painful but not primarily sexual” 1924, she wanted to make love with him

- Awkwardly refused to go through with it- Broke off with Fred a few days letter

Would spiral into a depression over it for months

Second Year in reviewWas a pivotal point for FredFound himself as a student of emerging academic

interest

College (cont)

Refound his love of writing Year Three:

Professor Calvin read one of his essays, accused Fred of Plagiarism○ Writing was extremely professional

Boosted Fred’s emerging conviction to be a writer○ Met Robert Frost and Carl Sandburg at “Bread

Loaf School of English”○ Was told to send his samples to Frost

College (cont) Several more “sexually experienced”

friends took Fred to a Red Light District. Started to feel that some men would have

saved themselves awkward marriages if they spend their first time at a whore-house.

Year Four: Focused on his Literary interestsTook a lot of Debate, and studied Shakespeare

and Elizabethan DramaEntered for the $200 William Duncan Saunders

Prize for Creative writing which he won.

After College (Early Years) Decided to live at home and try to write a

novel. His William was concerned for Fred’s

financial future Read from many different authors, and

developed a writer’s block depression Watched his grandfather die, left a lasting

mark. Was introduced to John B. Watson in 1926

through The Dial and discovered behaviorism

After College (Early Years cont)

Established a pattern of working “Every morning I read, study, and

write….there’s one interuption only: my mail is brought to me. Except for that I see no one; just write, think, and judge what other people are thinking about. In the afternoons I work at the bench…making [the ships] is great fun.”

Would carry this pattern for all of his life

The Beginning of a new Ideology Family trip on the S.S. Harding

Was reading when he heard the sound of a bugle○ Was customary for announcing dinner was

served○ Went back to reading after dinner

When he approached where the bugle rang, he had a response. “the very thing Pavlov would have predicted”

He decided to return to school, attend Harvard and study Psychology

Harvard

Enrolled in several Psychology and Physiology Courses as well as German for a language requirement.

Wrote a letter to his father, explaining his goals for returning to school. Never mentioned reviving writing plans, which pleased his father.

Focused on Physiology and Psychology when there were still new historical developments paving the way

Harvard (cont) Skinner “denied that behavior is determined by

processes within the physiology of the organism” Developed a gadget that would silently open

doors with compressed air when introducing a rat into an apparatus for solving problems. Would later be known as the “Skinner Box”

Would use both Rats and Pigeons in order to study the behaviors and responses of animals in experiments in a sealed controlled environment

This was the highlight of his Harvard Career https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_ctJqjlrHA

Yvonne Blue

Was introduced to Fred through a mutual friend in Harvard

Enjoyed literary conversation over gourmet food

Were soon engaged and met mixed criticism from William and Grace, but approval.

Fred felt the need to marry her for the love, but also the emotional support after college

Yvonne Blue (cont)

Felt that she didn’t want to be a “faculty wife” and broke off the engagementSoon afterward Fred visited her in Chicago,

and they made up. Married November 1, 1936 Had their first child Julie, in 1938 Yvonne wasn’t very happy, but slowly

transitioned

Marriage

Their only real common interest was literature

Divergence of other interestsShe liked dance, he wasn’t good at itHe liked symphonies, she found them

tiresome 1945 Fred took an offer become

chairman of the Psychology Department at Indiana UniversityYvonne loathed the small, provincial town

Project Pigeon

April 1940, Fred boarded a train for Chicago to attend a Midwestern Psychology Association meeting

Saw birds as potential devices to help in WWII. “with extraordinary eyesight and

maneuverability, could they not guide a missle?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIbZB6rNLZ4

Second child Deborah

Fred decided to simplify care for his second daughterAttempted to use Skinner box ideas for

tending to Deborah’s needs. He built a “thermostatically controlled,

enclosed crib with safety-glass front and a stretched-canvas floor○ “the Baby tender”

Would be Deborah’s home for the first two and a half years of her life.

The Baby Tender

the baby tender would restrain and protect the infant while providing remarkable freedom of movement.“A crib sized living space”

Was created to not only help with Skinner, but with returning war-veterans who needed assistance in adapting to a new family life. Made the life of the housewife easier

“The Air Crib” and Heir Conditioner

Walden Two

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3HtCntcLEU (6:50-8:20)

Media attention through the years Fred was never really free from the media This was best represented in 1971 when

his new book Beyond Freedom and Dignity was published

Received much criticism as people thought he was against the American way.

Wasn’t so much the content, but the way it was written

Later Years Yvonne and Fred continued their marriage well into

their later years at Old Dee Road residence at Cambridge.

Fred claimed that he tried to maintain a happy environment for Yvonne.

Deborah married and moved to LondonWould visit Europe and London to see their daughter

Fred retired from Harvard in 1974 Produced much work during the last two decades of

his life. Worked on an autobiography. Three Volumes

Later Years (cont) 1981 a cancerous lesion was found in his

head and removed 1987 he fell down his basement stairs and

suffered a life-threatening subdural hematoma. Would go into surgery twice to relieve pressure on

his brain While visiting Yvonne in the hospital with

embolism, Fred fainted and was told to have cancer and 6-12 months left to liveDied August 18, 1990 at 96 years old

Controversy explained

1) Did Skinner deny the American Way?A: No, he merely felt that it was the

American right to shape their future. 2) Was Deborah negatively affected by

the “Air Crib/Baby Tender”https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRNf1RseGXQ