Pioneers of Psychology: James McKeen Cattell

James McKeen Catell helped established psychology as a legitimate science and became the first psychology professor in the United States. Cattell started out studying English literature, but developed an interest in the field of psychology after meeting German psychologist Wilhelm Wundt. Cattell traveled to Germany to become Wundt's assistant and later published the first psychology dissertation by an American.

After returning to the U.S., Cattell held a number of teaching positions and was influential in the formation of several major publications including The Journal of Science and The Psychological Review. In addition to helping advance psychology in the United States, Cattell also influenced other prominent psychologists including Edward L. Thorndike.

Learn more about his life and work in this biography of James McKeen Cattell.

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_{Image courtesy the Library of Congress}