Virginia Staudt Sexton
Encyclopedia
Virginia Mary Staudt (1916-1997) was a psychologist who wrote numerous publications that are attributed to the history of American and international psychology.
on August 30, 1916 as the youngest of four children to Philip Henry Staudt, a special patrol officer for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, and Kathryn Philippa (Burkard) Staudt, who was a designer and sample maker of infant’s and children’s wear prior to marrying Philip. Staudt’s parents highly valued academic achievements when it came to raising their children. In 1933, Staudt entered Hunter College
of the City University of New York (CUNY) after graduating from Cathedral High School in New York City. Staudt graduated from CUNY in 1936 with a B.A. cum laude in the classics and was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Eta Sigma Phi
, the classics’ honor society. During her senior year of college, she worked as a teacher for Hunter College Model Elementary School, Hunter College High School, and George Washington High School. Her goal after graduating was to become a high school teacher of Latin or Greek, but unable to fulfill her dream, due to the scarcity of jobs caused by the Great Depression
, she decided to get her master’s degree in experimental psychology at the Fordham University
Graduate School of Arts and Science in February 1938. Staudt received her postdoctoral training in clinical psychology
at New York State Psychiatric Institute
and another one in neuroanatomy at Columbia University
.
On January 21, 1961, she married Richard J. Sexton, Ph.D., an English professor at Fordham University. With this marriage Sexton became a stepmother to three girls and one boy ranging from the ages of eight to twenty-one. The youngest of her stepchildren Richard Sexton holds a Ph.D. in psychology and the second youngest Mary Sexton is a doctoral candidate in educational administration.
of Staten Island, Virginia Staudt Sexton worked as a guidance director at Fordham University
. She also opened a psychology lab, created a psychology major, and became associate professor and chair of the psychology department. While working at Fordham she conducted research on shock therapy and psychosurgery for schizophrenic patients. Sexton had published over one hundred articles, a monograph a scholarly piece of writing, and six books.
, the first American Catholic and priest to study with Wilhelm Wundt
. She aided in the affiliation of the American Catholic Psychological Association (ACPA) with the APA where she served as president of the APA’s Division of Philosophical Psychology and its Division of Humanistic Psychology. Sexton work with ACPA was aimed at helping facilitate employment opportunities for Catholic psychologists. She also promoted many international issues because she believed that psychologists “must develop an international vision of their field” and research.
Early Life and Education
Virginia Mary Staudt was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on August 30, 1916 as the youngest of four children to Philip Henry Staudt, a special patrol officer for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, and Kathryn Philippa (Burkard) Staudt, who was a designer and sample maker of infant’s and children’s wear prior to marrying Philip. Staudt’s parents highly valued academic achievements when it came to raising their children. In 1933, Staudt entered Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
of the City University of New York (CUNY) after graduating from Cathedral High School in New York City. Staudt graduated from CUNY in 1936 with a B.A. cum laude in the classics and was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Eta Sigma Phi
Eta Sigma Phi
Eta Sigma Phi is a College honor society which grew out of a local undergraduate classical club founded by a group of students in the Department of Greek at the University of Chicago in 1914. This organization later united with a similar organization at Northwestern University and became Phi Sigma...
, the classics’ honor society. During her senior year of college, she worked as a teacher for Hunter College Model Elementary School, Hunter College High School, and George Washington High School. Her goal after graduating was to become a high school teacher of Latin or Greek, but unable to fulfill her dream, due to the scarcity of jobs caused by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, she decided to get her master’s degree in experimental psychology at the Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
Graduate School of Arts and Science in February 1938. Staudt received her postdoctoral training in clinical psychology
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology is an integration of science, theory and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development...
at New York State Psychiatric Institute
New York State Psychiatric Institute
The New York State Psychiatric Institute, established in 1895 and located on Riverside Drive at the foot of Washington Heights, the far upper west side of Manhattan in New York City, was one of the first institutions in the United States to integrate teaching, research and therapeutic approaches to...
and another one in neuroanatomy at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
On January 21, 1961, she married Richard J. Sexton, Ph.D., an English professor at Fordham University. With this marriage Sexton became a stepmother to three girls and one boy ranging from the ages of eight to twenty-one. The youngest of her stepchildren Richard Sexton holds a Ph.D. in psychology and the second youngest Mary Sexton is a doctoral candidate in educational administration.
Contributions and Achievements
After quitting her job as a lecturer at Notre Dame CollegeNotre Dame College
Notre Dame College, also known as Notre Dame College of Ohio or simply NDC, is a Catholic, coeducational, liberal arts college in South Euclid, Ohio, USA. Established in 1922 as a women's college it has been coeducational since January 2001...
of Staten Island, Virginia Staudt Sexton worked as a guidance director at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
. She also opened a psychology lab, created a psychology major, and became associate professor and chair of the psychology department. While working at Fordham she conducted research on shock therapy and psychosurgery for schizophrenic patients. Sexton had published over one hundred articles, a monograph a scholarly piece of writing, and six books.
History and Philosophy of Psychology
Virginia Staudt Sexton had contributed to national and internationally in the history and philosophy of psychology. Sexton is known for her contributions of linking psychology to Catholicism, one of the books that reflected this linkage is Catholics in Psychology: A Historical Survey which was translated in Spanish. Sexton works drew attention to the contribution of Catholic psychologists, including Edward A. PaceEdward A. Pace
Monsignor Edward A. Pace was a Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida. He was the first native Floridian to be ordained a diocesan priest....
, the first American Catholic and priest to study with Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt was a German physician, psychologist, physiologist, philosopher, and professor, known today as one of the founding figures of modern psychology. He is widely regarded as the "father of experimental psychology"...
. She aided in the affiliation of the American Catholic Psychological Association (ACPA) with the APA where she served as president of the APA’s Division of Philosophical Psychology and its Division of Humanistic Psychology. Sexton work with ACPA was aimed at helping facilitate employment opportunities for Catholic psychologists. She also promoted many international issues because she believed that psychologists “must develop an international vision of their field” and research.