Kate Gordon Moore
American psychologist (1878–1963)
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Through Perception, Memory and Imagination
Early life
Kate Gordon was born on February 18, 1878, to William A. Gordon and Helen J. Gordon. Kate had an older brother, also named William, as well as a younger brother named George J. and a younger sister named Sarah. Kate’s maternal grandfather, a clergyman, was born in Ireland, while her maternal grandmother was born in New York. Her paternal grandparents were both born in the U.S. Kate’s family had strong scientific and social values. Kate Gordon’s father was a physician and a surgeon, a profession that her brother would also eventually take on. Kate Gordon married Ernest Carroll Moore, an educator and philosopher in March 1943. Gordon met Moore at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where they both worked. They were married until Earnest’s death in 1955. Kate died in 1963, at the age of 85 from a brief illness.
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Education
Kate Gordon enrolled at the University of Chicago in 1896 and received her PhB in 1900 and her PhD in 1903. In the winter of 1903-1904, Gordon studied psychology in Germany at the University of Wurzburg as a fellow. During her tenure in Europe, she had also attributed to the German Psychological Periodical with her research she had conducted while in Germany. Gordon was also the first woman to receive membership to the German Society for Experimental Psychology.
Career
From 1904 - 1906 she was the instructor of psychology at Mount Holyoke College and from 1906–07 she continued teaching at the Teachers College of Columbia University. During this time she focused her research towards assessing color vision in regards to the peripheral retina and the aesthetics of color. In 1908 she became a surveyor of educational institutions in Europe which was granted to her by Bryn Mawr College. This opportunity gave Gordon an opportunity to research aesthetics by allowing her to visit a number of international art congresses that took part in Europe. 1912–16 she held the position of associate professor of education at Bryn Mawr College upon her arrival back into the United States. During this time she also was the head of the department of education. This was also noted as the time when Gordon began researching education, specifically mental tests for schools. 1916–19 she was an assistant professor of psychology and education at the Carnegie Institute of Technology which quickly resulted into her becoming the associate professor at the Institute from 1919–21. During this time period, she was also a called for to be a consultant for the Children's Department of the State Board of Control of California where she would help develop mental tests and differing testing programs for children. Gordon, in 1922, then moved on to the Southern Branch of the University of California, or known today as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where she was continually employed until her death. In 1922 she was a lecturer of psychology and in 1923 she became an associate professor of the psychology department. In 1934, she became a full professor and also held summer school classes at Stanford University, University of Washington, University of Wyoming, and the University of Wisconsin. In 1930 she was given the opportunity following the death of her college, Shepherd Ivory Franz, to serve as the chair of the UCLA psychology department. Her work shifted once more at this time and focused primarily on the imagination and how it affected the previous psychology she had studied. In addition to this, she also served as the President of the Faculty Women's Group and the President of the Western Psychological Association. During her time at UCLA she developed a scholarship in education under her husband's name at the university, which is known as the Ernest Carroll Moore Scholarship. Dr. Kate Gordon retired in 1948 and was quickly given the position of professor emerita and even came back to UCLA to hold lectures when she was needed.
During her career, Kate Gordon published a number of research papers, all on the various topics under the branch of cognitive psychology. The main areas of cognitive psychology that she focused on are color vision and perception, as well as aesthetics, memory, imagination, and attention span. In one of her papers, which was published while she was completing her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago in 1902, Gordon reviews the work of a Mr. W. McDougall. In this paper she states that there are issues with McDougall’s rejection of the Hering-Muller theory of light and color vision, and his support for the Young-McDougall theory, for which she stated, “there are certain facts which offer difficulties.” Gordon also wrote and published numerous textbooks for college students studying psychology; two such textbooks are Esthetics and Educational Psychology.
Achievements and awards
Gordon received the following awards:
- 1903 The Collegiate Alumnae Association awarded Dr. Kate Gordon a fellowship in Europe
- 1904 First woman to become a member of the German Society for Experimental Psychology
- 1941 The Alumni Association at the University of Chicago awarded Dr. Kate Gordon a citation for public service as their "most useful citizen" of the year.
National professional societies
Gordon was a member of the following professional societies
- Member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Member of the American Psychological Association
- Member of the American Philosophical Association
- President of the Western Psychological Association