The seven-volume series, Portraits of Pioneers In Psychology, was published under the sponsorship of Div. 1 (the Society for General Psychology) from 1991 to 2011. Edited by several of Div. 1's leaders, each volume includes informal, interesting biographies of major figures in the history of psychology, not all of whom are well-known. Nearly 140 biographical portraits of pioneer psychologists appear within the seven volumes. Taken together, these portraits effectively display the sense of excitement and commitment to challenging work that shaped psychological research and practice across a diverse range of fields.
The main purpose of these volumes is to provide supplementary human-interest readings for students and instructors in courses on "History and Systems of Psychology" and "Advanced General Psychology," though selected readings would enhance a range of other courses.
Helpful prefaces in each volume suggest how the portraits might supplement topics that are commonly covered in courses in psychology. After Volume I, these connections are suggested for all volumes to that date.
The authors of these portraits of pioneers write in an informal and frequently animated style. Carefully selected details, often presented with a touch of humor, make the people, ideas and controversies in the history of psychology come alive in a way that standard textbooks can rarely, if ever, achieve. Much of the information contained in these portraits is not readily available in other sources. Thus the series is ideal both for the classroom and for academic reference.
