Margaret_Floy_Washburn

Margaret Floy Washburn Margaret Floy Washburn was born in New York City on July 25, 1871, the only child of Francis Washburn and Elizabeth Floy Davis. She was raised in a middle class home where the women were of exceptional academic accomplishments. She was educated in both private and public schools with interests focusing on philosophy and the sciences. At the age of 20 she graduated from Vassar College and began studying at Columbia University. While at Columbia she was “allowed” to audit classes and work in James M. Cattel’s laboratory. Despite his full support and due to gender restrictions, she was not formally admitted as a student of psychology or as a student of the university. After a year she was chosen as a degree candidate at Cornell University, after winning the prestigious Susan Lynn Sage Fellowship. Within two years she began to study under Edward B. Titchner in experimental psychology. Under Titchner, she received a master’s degree in 1893 for her work with him. In 1894, she became the first woman to be granted a doctorate in psychology. Interestingly, she was not only the first woman to receive this degree; she psychology, washburn, vassar, professor, woman, after, university, titchner, students, first, became, animal, years, student, position, floy, doctorate, degree, cornell, 1908, york, year, work, within, under, two, thought, theory, teacher, support, second, schools, remained, received, published