James Birren
Encyclopedia
James E. Birren, Ph.D.
, (born April 1918) is one of the founders of the organized field of gerontology
since the 1940s (although the term itself dates to circa 1903). He is a past president of The Gerontological Society of America
, and author of over 250 publications.
Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and founding director of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center
, and after his retirement from USC was associated for many years with the UCLA Center on Aging. A leading gerontological theorist in the area of neurocognition and psychology, Birren established much of the framework of modern gerontological theory, such as "quality of life" as a multidimensional concept involving biological, psychological, and sociocultural domains.
Birren received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University
and began his research career at the Naval Medical Research Center. In 1947, he joined the U.S. Public Health Service in Baltimore and did research on aging at the Gerontology unit. Birren attended the very first meeting of The Gerontological Society of America
in 1948 at the Hotel Commodore in New York. As he quips, "The hotel where the first GSA meeting was held has been torn down, but I'm still here." In 1950, he joined the National Institute of Mental Health
and created the first section on aging. In 1964, he became the Director for the Program on Aging for the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development. Jim moved to the University of Southern California
in 1965 where he remained until 1989. There he was the founding director of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center
. In 1989, Jim moved to UCLA, where he remained as the Associate Director of the UCLA Center on Aging until he retired in 2003.
Birren's early research had an experimental base and he studied cognitive change and aging. Since developing the course Guided Autobiography more than thirty years ago, he has devoted much of his time and energy in the area of autobiographical studies.
James Birren's accomplishments and awards are too numerous to mention in prose (see partial list below). Most recently, he received the Exemplar Practice Award at the International Reminiscence and Life Review Conference in 2005. In 2004, Birren was presented with the "Ollie Randall" award by the National Council on Aging and was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the American Society on Aging (ASA). In addition to more than 250 publications in academic journals and books, Birren is Series Editor for the internationally recognized handbooks on aging, e.g., The Handbook on the Psychology of Aging. The handbooks are currently in their sixth edition. He has written two books specifically on Guided Autobiography: Guiding Autobiography Groups for Older Adults with D. Deutchman (1991) and Telling the Stories of Life Through Guided Autobiography with K. Cochran (2001).
Birren continues to teach the Guided Autobiography method and to facilitate groups. He is currently Senior Distinguished Research Faculty at California State University Fullerton. Currently living in Woodland Hills, he frequently gives presentations on Guided Autobiography in the Southern California area. He is working with ASA and the MindAlert program to bring Guided Autobiography to locations as diverse as Kelowna
, British Columbia
and Atlanta, Georgia
. Birren has organized a devoted group of colleagues who comprise a work group whose purpose is to spread the Guided Autobiography program.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, (born April 1918) is one of the founders of the organized field of gerontology
Gerontology
Gerontology is the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging...
since the 1940s (although the term itself dates to circa 1903). He is a past president of The Gerontological Society of America
The Gerontological Society of America
The Gerontological Society of America is a multidisciplinary organization devoted to research and education in all aspects of gerontology: medical, biological, psychological and social...
, and author of over 250 publications.
Theories
Birren is known for defining aging as three distinct processes: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Birren was the founding dean of the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and founding director of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center
Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center
The Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, one of the first centers for gerontology research in the U.S., was founded at the University of Southern California in 1964. The center was expanded in 1975 with the inception of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, the first school of gerontology in...
, and after his retirement from USC was associated for many years with the UCLA Center on Aging. A leading gerontological theorist in the area of neurocognition and psychology, Birren established much of the framework of modern gerontological theory, such as "quality of life" as a multidimensional concept involving biological, psychological, and sociocultural domains.
Historic significance
James Birren is considered "one of the reigning pioneers of gerontology," by the American Society on Aging. He was instrumental in the growth and expansion of the field of gerontology in the 1950s, and his career has now spanned six decades.Birren received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
and began his research career at the Naval Medical Research Center. In 1947, he joined the U.S. Public Health Service in Baltimore and did research on aging at the Gerontology unit. Birren attended the very first meeting of The Gerontological Society of America
The Gerontological Society of America
The Gerontological Society of America is a multidisciplinary organization devoted to research and education in all aspects of gerontology: medical, biological, psychological and social...
in 1948 at the Hotel Commodore in New York. As he quips, "The hotel where the first GSA meeting was held has been torn down, but I'm still here." In 1950, he joined the National Institute of Mental Health
National Institute of Mental Health
The National Institute of Mental Health is one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health...
and created the first section on aging. In 1964, he became the Director for the Program on Aging for the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development. Jim moved to the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in 1965 where he remained until 1989. There he was the founding director of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center
Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center
The Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, one of the first centers for gerontology research in the U.S., was founded at the University of Southern California in 1964. The center was expanded in 1975 with the inception of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, the first school of gerontology in...
. In 1989, Jim moved to UCLA, where he remained as the Associate Director of the UCLA Center on Aging until he retired in 2003.
Birren's early research had an experimental base and he studied cognitive change and aging. Since developing the course Guided Autobiography more than thirty years ago, he has devoted much of his time and energy in the area of autobiographical studies.
James Birren's accomplishments and awards are too numerous to mention in prose (see partial list below). Most recently, he received the Exemplar Practice Award at the International Reminiscence and Life Review Conference in 2005. In 2004, Birren was presented with the "Ollie Randall" award by the National Council on Aging and was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the American Society on Aging (ASA). In addition to more than 250 publications in academic journals and books, Birren is Series Editor for the internationally recognized handbooks on aging, e.g., The Handbook on the Psychology of Aging. The handbooks are currently in their sixth edition. He has written two books specifically on Guided Autobiography: Guiding Autobiography Groups for Older Adults with D. Deutchman (1991) and Telling the Stories of Life Through Guided Autobiography with K. Cochran (2001).
Birren continues to teach the Guided Autobiography method and to facilitate groups. He is currently Senior Distinguished Research Faculty at California State University Fullerton. Currently living in Woodland Hills, he frequently gives presentations on Guided Autobiography in the Southern California area. He is working with ASA and the MindAlert program to bring Guided Autobiography to locations as diverse as Kelowna
Kelowna
Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Birren has organized a devoted group of colleagues who comprise a work group whose purpose is to spread the Guided Autobiography program.
Partial list of academic honors
- American Society On Aging Hall of Fame Award 2004
- Brookdale distinguished scholar
- Gerontological Society Award for Meritorious Research
- 1996 American Society on Aging President's Award
- Brookdale Foundation Award for Gerontological Research
- 1989 Sandoz prize for Geronotological Research
- 1990 Award for Outstanding Contribution to Biogerontology, Canadian Association of Gerontology
- Association for Psychological Science, William James Fellow Award
- 1979 (shared with one other faculty member) University of Southern California Associates Faculty Award (The USC Associates Awards are the highest honors the university faculty bestows upon its members)
- 1968 American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions
- Honorary Doctorates from the University of GothenburgGothenburgGothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
and St. Thomas University, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Books
- Telling the Stories of Life Through Guided Autobiography Groups (2001), J.E. Birren & K. Cochran. The Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Guiding Autobiography Groups for Older Adults (1991), J.E. Birren and D. Deutchman. The Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Where to Go From Here (1997), J.E. Birren & L. Feldman. Simon and Schuster.
External links
- The University of Southern California Davis School of Gerontology
- http://www.tsaofoundation.org/beauty/birren03.html
- http://www.geron.org/default.asp
- http://www.guidedautobiography.com/
- http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/news/2006/news6.shtml
- http://www.asaging.org/at/at-254/James_Birren_Surveys.cfm