Bruner @ 100

On June 30, 2015, at Fordham University, more than 75 students and colleagues attended the 100th birthday celebration of preeminent psychologist Jerome Bruner, PhD.

The two-part evening began with a lecture and forum entitled, "Psychology in Manhattan—Its Fascinating History," featuring a panel of eight experts, three of them past presidents of APA Div. 1 (Society for General Psychology): Frank Farley (leaders in psychology), Florence Denmark (gender), Harold Takooshian (moderator), as well as Uwe Gielen (international), Sharon Brennan (psychoanalysis), Leonard Davidman (New York State Psychological Association), Henry Solomon (social) and Rafael Javier (forensic).

Bruner entered the room to a standing ovation. Despite the challenges of a wheel chair and rush-hour traffic, he arrived safely with help from his dear friends Eleanor, Loren and Patricia. Some of Bruner's friends — Daniel Rose, Oliver Sacks, Frank Farley and Dmitry Leontiev from Moscow — shared their favorite stories about him.  Bruner also shared his own stories, including his memorable first day as an undergraduate in William McDougall's intro psychology class at Duke in 1937; his time at Harvard, Oxford and New York University; and his presidency of APA. View a YouTube video featuring 60 minutes of this three-hour fete — 35 minutes featuring the eight panelists, then 25 minutes of tributes from Bruner's friends.

Many friends reconvened on Sept. 27, 2015, for another celebration of Bruner's birthday at St. John's University in Manhattan.

For more details, check the Manhattan Psychological Association (MPA) website or contact MPA President Harold Takooshian.