BARNARD COLLEGE 
                              COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
                                   NEW YORK 

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY                        Montrose, N.Y  Dec. 18,1950 

Dear Youtz:             

The endeavors oi the historian are truly full of hazard. 
Even the documents of the period he would reconstruct 
are likely to be deceptive.

Thus, even if, the catalogue lists Cattell as giving a course in 
Experimental in Barnard, you can be sure he never did so. 
Instead he would have sent his assistant over, wno could do the work 
but could not be officially charged with it.             

Around 1905 and 1906 these assistants were F.L.Wells and V.A.C.Henmon, 
and if, they gave courses in "Experimental" they had neither laboratory 
nor equipment. In about 1906-07- and 07-08 Woodrow became Tutor In 
Philosophy in Barnard and he was allowed $1,000 to spend for apparatus 
and equipment for a course in Experimental. He bought a Hipp chronoscope, 
a Jacuet chronometer, and a few large electric motors. He had only 
four or five students, one of which was Emily T. Burr, in her junior year. 
Curiously enough Woodrow's Middle name was Hollingsworth. 
Perhaps that is why I succeeded him as Tutor In Philosophy in 1909, 
Inheriting the Hipp chronoseope, the Jacquet chronometer and the 
elecuric motors, all of which-are probably still stowed away somewhere 
about the lab.             

Up to that time the Dept. had been assigned only Rooms 419 and 420. 
Enrollments Increased rapidly so that soon Crampton moved out of 416, 
417, and 418 also became ours . We were allowed each year a pittance 
for apparatus and supplies, but itwas reaily with Woodrow that what 
might justly be called an experimental course began there, and he 
remained not more than two years.             

I gave a section of, Introductory, a section of Logic, and also 
Experimental; when the last named course had 75 students a couple 
of hundred dollars was allowed for what was called assistance, which 
meant some senior who had the course the year before.  Beyond that time 
the catalogues are reasonably correct although due to the exigencies of 
catalogue printing, people are often included on the staff a year 
after they have left and some one else who was there for only one year 
is never mentioned in the catalogue. And so it goes.             

Well, our very best wishes. Some of these days I'll drop into the 
department quarters again, perhaps, although the problem of finding 
parking space makes this less and less likely.  When you are up this 
way drop in on us. We are nearly always at home and most of the time 
able to navigate. 

Yours-  Hollingworth

                                BARNARD COLLEGE 
                              COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY      
                                   NEW YORK 

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY                                    Feb 16, 1949 

Dear Youtz:          

What an everlasting poblem: the status of experimental 
psychology seems to be, and how vigorously the so-called sciences fight 
to maintain their historic prerogatives.  Anyway It doesn't make any 
great difference which way it comes out. But it's all interesting and 
amusing. I do not know just how those old sciences are taught now,- but in 
my own academic infancy I studied chemistry, physics, astronomy, botany, 
zoology and experimental psychology. The astronomy was just a lark. 
Chemistry, physies and psychology in, the laboratory really introduced 
me to scientific procedures and ways of thinking. Botany and zoology yielded 
only fat note books full of drawings,- star fish, protozoans, and there 
was special emphasis on the naphridia of the earth worm. The little animals 
were interesting, and since I was no good at drawing, the practice may 
have helped me some in that respect. But I never could see any science 
in those pictures.                 

Well my best wishes as to the outcome. Whichever way it turns you will 
continue to have plenty of students, and perhaps they will be even likelier 
to be the ones who will appreciate what they are getting.                 

No reactions to "the book" (Born in Nebraska) have come to my notice yet, 
in the form of reviews or sales reports. I hope, for the sake of the 
publisher who so gallantly undertook to do the job, that someone will say 
a few kind words in print. Of course it is still too early. There is 
another book in the hands of another publisher (actually I think it 
is in his desk drawer. or trunk, not in his hands for he has had it 
for two months now) which if it ever appears will be of a wholly different 
character. It is the story of a childhood, without benefit of psychoanalysis.

We are having a good winter, doing as little as possible. But lots of times 
I could wish I was back in the laboratory, with my data spread out on the 
tables In room 419, calculating coefficients and drawing curves again. 
Just now I am making a sort of "item analysis" of the insight test. 

We send you all our best regards-   Hollingworth

PRESENTED AT BARNARD COLLEGE FACULTY MEETING IN 1956.

RESOLVED:

That the faculty of Barnard College express its sorrow at the death of
Professor Harry L. Hollingworth.             

In the "sevemty-six years since his birth in DeWitt, Nebraska,
Professor Hollinguorth led a varied and productive life as experimental 
scientist, teacher, and author.  After an A.B. at the University of 
Nebraska and a few years as teacher and High School principal in Nebraska,
he came to Columbia University in 1907 as an Assistant in psychology. 
After receiving his Ph.D., he moved to Barnard In 1909 as Tutor in Psychology 
in the Department of Philosophy and Psychology, teaching the recently 
instituted Introductory and Intermediate courses in Experimental Psychology. 
He was made Instructor in 1910, Assistant Professor in 1914, Associate 
Professor in 1918, Professor in 1922, and on his retirement in 1946,
Emeritus Professor.                  

During his years at Barnard he gained eminence and friends in many 
areas. As an experimental scientist he made fundamental contributions to
a wide range of psychological problems, including learning (which he defined
in terms of "redintegration"), thinking, character analysis, the 
functional neuroses, the forms of human judgment, and the effects on human
behavior of caffeine and alcohol. The caffeine investigations performed in     
1912 and still quoted was done in connection with federal court action
when a well-known soft drink was found to contain this popular drug.           

He also applied his clarifying theoretical acuity and experimental 
ingenuity to practical problems in the world of business, and published two
books on the practice and principles of advertising. After service as a 
Captain in the psychological branch of the Army in World War 1, he 
summarized his findings in "The Psychology of the Functional Neuroses". 
Near the end of his career he brought to fruition a longstanding interest 
in ethical problems and after his retirement published a radically new 
technique for the measurement of the perception of ethical concepts, an 
area previously thought not to be open to objective psychological methods. 
Throughout his career his interest was in ingenious experiments, yielding 
reliable, objective results which could be used in the construction of
useful theories.

In teaching, his understanding of his audience and his coordinated 
presentation of experimental facts and theoretical principles were 
major forces in inspiring students and in the creation and development 
of the Barnmrd psychology department. As a result of his work, the great 
majority of all Barnard graduates have had, as an elective course, at 
least the introductory survey in psychology.  More than twenty of his 
major students in this new field went on to earn a Ph.D., and under 
Professor Hollingworth'd direction at Columbia more than forty-eight
Master's theses were completed. His effective teaching was carried on 
in addition to duties as department administrator and as a recurrent 
welcome member on faculty committees. 

Known as "Holly" to his colleagues - and we expect to many of his students,
he was once charged with conducting his own book-of-the-month club.  He was 
the antbor of 19 books, 4 monographs, and 72 articles, along with numerous
reviews and notes. These publications vere received with interest, not only 
by psychologists, but by students in other fields, both academic and 
non-academic. His writing presented experimental findings and summarized
theoretical positions clearly and engagingly, in his most widely used book, 
a text on "Abnormal Psychology", published in 1930, he achieved a new 
high level in this difficult field by basing his exosition principally on 
experimental findings. In addition he expressed a theoretical position on 
the 1930 statements of psychoanalysis by titling his chapter on this topic:
"Psycho-analogy".

He was an active participant in many professional organizations, the principal 
ones being the American Psychological Association, The American
Association for the Advancement of Science, The N.Y Academy of Sciences.
In 1921 he received the Nicholas Murray Butler Medal of Columbia 
University. He received the highest honor of his profession, the presidency 
of The American Psychological Association In 1927, and in 1937 an honorary 
LL.D., from his Alma Mater, Nebraska. In 1954 the Hollingworth Psychological 
Laboratories were opened in Barnard's Milbank Hall in honor of the man who 
had introduced the new science to Barnard and had so effectively guided 
the growth of the new department. 

In 1908 Harry L. Hollingwrth married Leta Statter, who had been a fellow 
student at the University of Nebraska. She was a psychologist too, and 
followed a career of teaching and research as Professor at Teacher's 
College.  Her interests were in the education of exceptionally intelligent 
children.  She was for many years head of Teachers College's Speyer School 
and was widely known for her studies on the problems and joys of training 
gifted children.  Although few people know of it, the Hollingworths provided
provided financial support for the advanced education of many of the children 
whom Mrs. Hollingworth had known. Leta S. Hoingworth died in 1940. Just before
he retired, professor Hollingworth married Mrs. Josefine Weischer, a friend of 
the family. For the past ten years they lived in Montrose where the 
Hollingworths have had their home for many years. 

Professor Hollingworth's principal interest was always in the joy of seeking 
truth.  In a letter a few years after his retirwent he wrote as follows:
"We are having a good winter, doing as little as possible. But lots of times 
I could wish I was back in the laboratory, with my data spread out on the 
tables, calculating coefficients and drawing graphs of the results".
He will be long remembered as an inspired researcher and wise friend.

Richard P. Youtz