1866

Adolph Meyer was born on Sept. 13. Meyer was the most prominent American psychiatrist of his time. His holistic approach, which he called "psychobiology," recommended that the organic, psychological and social factors affecting the patient must all be considered in diagnosis and treatment. He suggested the appropriateness of the term "mental hygiene" used even today as a synonym for mental health.

1884

On Sept. 29, James McKeen Cattell brought a Remington Model 4 typewriter to Leipzig, Germany, the home of Wilhelm Wundt's laboratory. Fascinated by the tool, Wundt obtained a typewriter for himself and increased his already prodigious scholarly output.

1929

Ivan P. Pavlov addressed the Ninth International Congress of Psychology on Sept. 2, which was meeting in the United States for the first time. His talk was delivered in Russian but with such enthusiasm that the audience applauded portions before the translation was given. On one occasion, the applause turned out to be for a description of laboratory apparatus.

1945

On Sept. 28, The Ladies' Home Journal published an article about a crib built by B.F. Skinner for his daughter, Debbie. The article, titled "Baby in a Box," created widespread misunderstanding, occasional angry reactions, and persistent false rumors of child abuse and maladjustment.

Skinner had built the germ-free, temperature- and humidity-controlled crib to make a healthier environment for infants to sleep and play in. He called it the "Air Crib" and actually marketed it after using it to raise his two daughters. In order to maintain the controlled environment, the crib was closed in with solid sides and a plexiglass front that could be raised and lowered. It was probably the closed-in appearance of the "Air Crib" that prompted criticism of the device.

Instead of being won over by the improved environment of the "Air Crib," the Journal painted it as a device intended to allow parents to ignore their infants, letting the crib, instead of the parents, care for their babies. Today, central heating and air conditioning take care of the same environmental control problems Skinner sought to manage with his invention.

1968

The Association of Black Psychologists was formed on Sept. 2. Charles W. Thomas, formerly of the University of Southern California, and Robert L. Green, of Michigan State University, were elected co-chairs of the organization. Ernestine Thomas served as the association's national
secretary.



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