A Teacher is Forever: The Legacy of Harry Kirke Wolfe (1858–1918)

Abstract

After studying briefly with Hermann Ebbinghaus in Berlin, Harry Kirke Wolfe became one of the first two Americans to earn a doctorate in psychology from Wilhelm Wundt at Leipzig. Wolfe founded one of the earliest psychology laboratories in the United States at the University of Nebraska in 1889 and remained there for most of his professional career. His contribution to psychology was as a teacher who inspired numerous students to pursue careers in psychology. The number of students was so large that the University of Nebraska ranked third among all American universities in several surveys in the 1920s that asked psychologists where the received their first inspiration to study psychology. Numbered among his undergraduates are three former presidents of the American Psychological Association: Walter Pillsbury, Madison Bentley, and Edwin Guthrie. This article traces Wolfe's career, emphasizing his blending of psychology and pedagogy, and his qualities as a teacher.