James, William

Art Student

The earliest identifiable vocational interests that James pursued were those of naturalist and artist. At the age of 18, he began formal studies with American painter William Morris Hunt in Newport, Rhode Island, but his vocation as art student lasted only 6 months. Nevertheless, the training James received as an artist continued to influence the ways that he focused his attention in other areas. He continued to sketch and draw and retained a keen observational eye for detail in his scientific pursuits. His observational abilities surfaced both in his empirical work and in his recognition of the importance of attention in human psychology.

Medical Student

In 1861 James began his lifetime association with Harvard University when he enrolled to study chemistry. His interest in chemistry soon paled, however, and he turned to physiology and medicine. James continued to combine his interests in science and nature, and in 1865, at the age of 23, James traveled to Brazil with Harvard naturalist Louis Agassiz. James was to serve as a field naturalist, collecting and marking species as they were added to Agassiz's collection. James's career as naturalist was cut short when he caught varioloid, a form of smallpox, and was hospitalized. Destabilized by illness, and deeply upset by the death of a favorite cousin, James returned to Boston to resume his medical studies. The following year, he began a clerkship at Massachusetts General Hospital, but by April he again fell ill and suspended his medical education. Periods of study alternated with periods of rest and travel until, in 1869, he completed training as a medical doctor at Harvard University.

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