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