Iowa Child Welfare Research Station
Encyclopedia
The American Iowa Child Welfare Research Station attached to the University of Iowa
conducted pioneering research into child development and child psychology during the 20th century. German-American psychologist Kurt Zadek Lewin worked there and Robert Richardson Sears
directed the Station for much of the 1940s. Many other eminent psychologists, physiologists, and researchers were associated with the Station and its work.
In 1963 the Station was renamed The Institute of Child Behavior and Development due to negative association amongst the public with the phrase "Child Welfare" and in 1974 the Institute was closed as a research establishment.
The Station was originally founded in 1917. A leader of the Iowa Congress of Mothers named Cora Bussey Hillis arranged for the Station to be sited at the University of Iowa and procured funding from the state legislature and the Women's Christian Temperance Union. With the exception of a stint of military service during World War I
Dr. Bird T. Baldwin served as the first director of the Station until his untimely death on May 13, 1928.
In 1922 the station listed these employees:
, then the head of the psychology department at the University of Iowa:
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
conducted pioneering research into child development and child psychology during the 20th century. German-American psychologist Kurt Zadek Lewin worked there and Robert Richardson Sears
Robert Richardson Sears
Dr. Robert Richardson Sears was an eminent American psychologist who specialized in child psychology. He was born in Palo Alto, California to Jesse Brundage Sears, a professor at Stanford University, and Stella Louise Sears...
directed the Station for much of the 1940s. Many other eminent psychologists, physiologists, and researchers were associated with the Station and its work.
In 1963 the Station was renamed The Institute of Child Behavior and Development due to negative association amongst the public with the phrase "Child Welfare" and in 1974 the Institute was closed as a research establishment.
The Station was originally founded in 1917. A leader of the Iowa Congress of Mothers named Cora Bussey Hillis arranged for the Station to be sited at the University of Iowa and procured funding from the state legislature and the Women's Christian Temperance Union. With the exception of a stint of military service during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Dr. Bird T. Baldwin served as the first director of the Station until his untimely death on May 13, 1928.
In 1922 the station listed these employees:
- Director Baldwin
- Paid, full time—4 nurses, 1 social worker, 3 clerical or other helpers.
- Paid, part time—1 physician, 1 nurse, 1 social worker, 3 clerical or other helpers.
- Volunteer, part time—4 physicians.
Iowa Statute Establishing the Station
The following law was authored by Carl Emil SeashoreCarl Seashore
Carl Emil Seashore was a prominent American psychologist.-Background:Seashore was born in Mörlunda, Hultsfred Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden to Carl Gustav and Emily Sjöstrand. He emigrated with his family to the United States in 1870 and settled in Iowa. The name “Seashore” is a...
, then the head of the psychology department at the University of Iowa:
Research
External links
- Pictures from the Iowa Child Welfare Research Station in the Iowa Digital Library, University of Iowa Libraries
- Iowa Child Welfare Research Station at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, archived at WebCiteWebCiteWebCite is a service that archives web pages on demand. Authors can subsequently cite the archived web pages through WebCite, in addition to citing the original URL of the web page. Readers are able to retrieve the archived web pages indefinitely, without regard to whether the original web page is...
at http://www.webcitation.org/5dWWmr0Td - "Forces Behind Food Habits and Methods of Change" by Kurt Zadek LewinKurt LewinKurt Zadek Lewin was a German-American psychologist, known as one of the modern pioneers of social, organizational, and applied psychology....
, an account of research performed at the Station. From the book The Problem of Changing Food Habits Report of the Committee on Food Habits 1941-1943. - Publications of the Station at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...