Hall, G. Stanley

The Beginnings

Stanley Hall, as he was known, was born in western Massachusetts in the small town of Ashfield on February 1, 1844. His parents, Abigail Beals and Granville Bascom Hall, were farmers, descended on both sides from early New England settlers. His mother held strong religious beliefs and hoped that her son would become a minister. As a youth, Stanley was bright and ambitious but out of step with his small-town environment. He attended nearby Williams College, where he developed a strong interest in [Page 529]philosophy. After graduation, he traveled to New York City to attend Union Theological Seminary to become a minister, a choice that pleased his mother (Ross, 1972).

New York City was a revelation to the young man. For the first time, he could engage in activities that his strict religious upbringing had denied him. He attended one of the very first musical comedies ever produced in New York. Using money from a loan, he traveled to Europe and, while there, began considering a career as an academic. His studies, most of which took place at the University of Berlin, helped to expand his horizons even further. After more than a year in Europe, his money ran out and he returned to the United States. He completed his studies at the seminary, but his future was still uncertain. A brief trial run as a minister was unsuccessful. After 2 years as a tutor, he was able to obtain a position at Antioch College in Ohio, where he taught a wide range of courses and remained for 4 years. It was during this period that he first read about the new psychology being discussed in Germany by Wilhelm Wundt (Ross, 1972).

He left Antioch and enrolled in a doctoral program in philosophy at Harvard University. There he became friends with William James, only 2 years older than he. A few years earlier, James had begun to teach the “new” psychology, the first in the United States to do so. In 1878, Hall received his PhD from Harvard under James. Since his topic, the muscular perception of space, reflected some of the concerns of the new psychology, his degree was granted in that discipline. His degree is usually considered the first PhD degree granted in psychology in the United States, and perhaps the first in the world.

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