"The defects of his race": E. G. Boring and antisemitism in American psychology, 1923–1953.

Abstract

From the 1920s to the 1950s, Edwin G. Boring wrote letters of reference for Jewish students and colleagues in which he followed the common practice of identifying them as Jews and assessing whether they showed "objectionable traits" thought to characterize Jews. These practices are discussed in relation to the increasing antisemitism of the interwar period, with specific reference to Abraham A. Roback and Kurt Lewin. In Roback's case, the "defect" of Jewishness was thought to explain his undesirable personality: with Lewin, personal charm mitigated the "defect" of Jewishness. Boring's unsuccessful attempts to place Jewish students, his subsequent pessimism, and his postwar discussions of Jewish identity are examined in relation to the general issue of antisemitism in the history of academic psychology.

Doing science, doing gender: Using history in the present.

“…For example, disciplinary gatekeeper and architect of early 20th century American psychology Edwin Boring was adamant in his convictions that neither Jews nor women could handle apparatus (Rutherford, 2015; Winston, 1998). Decades later, feminist neuroscientist Naomi Weisstein (both Jewish and a woman!)…”

Family, friends, and faith-communities: Intellectual community and the benefits of unofficial networks for marginalized scientists.

“…Second, these groups do not generally run counter to official academic communities’ interests, but reinforce the status quo. For example, the old boys’ network system of finding jobs for each other’s students (or at least those not women, black, or Jewish, see Winston, 1998) facilitated the smooth operation of the university. By contrast unofficial networks resist existing power structures, or at least provide resources for coping with marginalization.…”

Gender, ethnicity, and career trajectories: A comment on Woodward (2010).

“…But in the specific context of Jews in academia, the situation is complex, and it cannot be assumed that Jews would always help other Jews. Samuel Fernberger, a leading member of the American Psychological Association (APA), explicitly refused to hire Leo Hurvich at the University of Pennsylvania only because there were already two Jews in the department, Fernberger and Morris Viteles (Winston, 1998). Noted Jewish philosopher Gustav Bergmann at Iowa was highly discouraging to Jewish graduate student David Bakan in the mid-1940s and disparaged him “in every way that he could” (Bakan, 2009, p. 56).…”

“…In a recent article, Woodward (2010) drew attention to the role of ethnicity, gender, and immigration in shaping the careers of three women psychologists. In our own work, we have also emphasized the importance of gender, race, and ethnicity in understanding career trajectories, particularly in the interwar and postwar periods (e.g., Cherry, 2004;Cherry & Borshuk, 1998;Unger, 2001;Unger, Sheese, & Main, 2010;Winston, 1998Winston, , 2007. Because such analyses present special historiographic challenges, we are concerned that readers may be misled by Woodward's conclusions regarding "Jewish mentors and networks of patronage" (p. 111).…”