Transcript Francis Cecil Sumner - University of Tulsa

Francis Cecil Sumner
1895-1954
Overview of Presentation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Background Information
Historical Antecedents
Zeitgeist
Professional Obstacles and Struggles
Experiments, Research, and Clinical Data Supporting
his Theory and Ideas
Strengths and Weaknesses of his Theory and Ideas
Influence on Events and Ideas in his Time and on
Later Events and Ideas in Psychology
Background Information





Francis Cecil Sumner was born in Pine Bluff,
Arkansas on December 7, 1895.
His elementary education was through school
systems in Virginia and New Jersey.
His secondary education was self-taught with the
help of his parents.
In 1911, when he was 15 years old, he submitted a
written examination and was permitted to enroll at
Lincoln University.
He graduated magna cum laude in 1915.
Background Information




Sumner was accepted into Clark University
through the help of his good friend G. Stanley
Hall.
In 1916, he graduated valedictorian of his class
with a Bachelor’s Degree in English.
He then returned to Lincoln University as a
graduate student and professor of German and
psychology.
He received his Master’s Degree in 1917.
Background Information




Soon after graduation, he received word that
he had been accepted to Clark University with
a senior scholarship in psychology.
Sumner put his education on hold in 1917 and
1918 to serve in the United States military in
World War I.
He returned to Clark University in 1919.
On June 14, 1920, he became the first African
American to receive a Ph.D. in psychology.
Background Information



Sumner taught at Wilberforce Southern
University and West Virginia Collegiate
Institute before becoming chairman of the
psychology department at Howard University.
Howard University gained a reputation for
providing African Americans with the highest
quality of education in psychology.
In fact, it became known as the Black Harvard.
Background Information



Sumner married twice, but did not have
children.
On January 12, 1954, he died of a heart attack
while shoveling snow.
He is known as the Father of Black American
Psychology.
Historical Antecedents

William Edward Burghardt DuBois challenged
the views of Booker T. Washington.



He believed that “education among Blacks must
first focus upon educating the best of the race [who
would then] be in a position to begin to uplift the
masses.”
Inspired a “Negro Renaissance”
Intellectuals, novelists, and poets built racial pride
and hope through writing.
Historical Antecedents


African American historians criticized
Caucasian historians for presenting a biased
view of history by omitting the contributions
of African Americans.
G. Stanley Hall advocated for the inclusion of
minorities and women in Clark University.
Zeitgeist

African Americans considered inferior in
intelligence and morality


Misuse of intelligence tests to prove the inferiority
of racial and ethnic minorities
In 1921, United States president Warren Harding
said that social equality between African
Americans and Caucasians would never be
possible due to “fundamental, inescapable, and
eternal differences of race.”
Zeitgeist

Segregation



Sumner had a separate table in the dining hall of
Clark University.
African Americans were excluded from
educational, occupational, and military
opportunities.
They were restricted to agricultural and vocational
trades.
Admission to Schools


American University and the University of
Illinois denied him admission to graduate
school.
Instead, he attended Lincoln University and
Clark University.
World War I



Drafted as an infantry sergeant
Proficient in foreign language and could have
been a valuable translator or code breaker
Instead, he constructed railroads in the 808
Pioneer Infantry.
Controversies

Sumner wrote two controversial letters to the
Worcester Gazette.




Discussed the oppression of African Americans
Criticized how the United States viewed Germany
after World War I
Advocated for school segregation on the basis
of the inferiority of African Americans
Conducted controversial research on racial
issues
Research



Racial equality
Attitudes regarding justice for African
Americans
Goal was for justice to be administered more
democratically
Sumner and Sumner (1931)


Impact of race on mental health
Participants

593 college students



400 Caucasian
193 African American
70 psychoneurotic people
Measures

The Mental Hygiene Inventory




170 questions
Psychoneurotic symptoms
Childhood
Adulthood
Results


Caucasians and African Americans had an
approximately equal amount of psychoneurotic
symptoms in childhood and adulthood.
For most psychoneurotic symptoms, the
African Americans resembled the Caucasians
more than the psychoneurotic people.
Sumner and Campbell (1939)

Attitudes regarding justice for African
Americans
Participants

431 employed adults



215 Caucasian
216 African American
1,082 college students


443 Caucasian
639 African American
Measures

Questionnaire



118 statements pertaining to courts, judges, jurors,
defendants, plaintiffs, lawyers, justice, etc.
Taken from newspapers, books, and conversations
Rated on a five-point scale, ranging from
absolutely true to absolutely false
Results



For 24 of the statements, at least 67% of the
participants were in agreement about whether
it was true or false.
The participants were not in favor of the
judicial system being abolished.
However, they wanted it to be modified so that
it was fairer.
Sumner and Lee (1941)


Similarities between African American dyads
Participants

110 African American college students



15 pairs of male-male friends
15 pairs of female-female friends
15 male-female couples
Measures

Intelligence


Socioeconomic status


Otis Self-Administering Test of Mental Ability,
Higher Form
Simms Score Card
Interest-attitude

Pressey Interest-Attitude Test
Measures

Personality traits


Bernreuter Personality Inventory
Skin color

Color chart


Nine equally spaced shades
Ranged from white to black
Results


African American college students who are
male choose friends who are similar in
interest-attitude and skin color.
African American college students choose
partners who are similar in socioeconomic
status, skin color, and age.
Sumner and Shaed (1945)

Attitudes regarding justice for African
Americans
Participants

906 college students



246 Caucasian
660 African American
193 adults


42 Caucasian
151 African American
Measures

Questionnaire



56 statements pertaining to courts, judges, jurors,
defendants, plaintiffs, lawyers, justice, etc.
Taken from the conversations of African
Americans
Rated on a five-point scale, ranging from
absolutely true to absolutely false
Results


The correlation of responses between the
Caucasian and African American college
students was .78.
The correlation of responses between the
Caucasian and African Americans adults was
.60.
Sumner and Clark (1945)

Estimates of the intelligence and
wholesomeness of personality of African
Americans
Participants

Subjects

7 African American college students




2 male
5 female
Varied in skin color
Judges

52 African American adults


10 male
42 female
Measures

Intelligence





Otis Higher Examination From D
Otis Higher Examination From B
Army Alpha Form 9
The subjects were ranked according to their
intelligence.
Personality traits

Bernreuter Personality Inventory
Procedure




Name
Rankings of intelligence and wholesomeness
of personality
10 minute interview
Rankings of intelligence and wholesomeness
of personality
Results

Before the interview, intelligence rankings
were correlated with:



Looks .61
Skin color - .32
After the interview, intelligence rankings were
correlated with:


Self-sufficiency .82
Skin color .00
Results

Before the interview, wholesomeness of
personality rankings were correlated with:



Looks .57
Skin color - .18
After the interview, wholesomeness of
personality rankings were correlated with:


Self-sufficiency .68
Skin color - .25
Results


The judges could not accurately estimate the
intelligence of the subjects before or after the
interview.
Estimates of intelligence and wholesomeness
of personality were influenced negatively or
not at all by skin color.
Strengths


Suggested better higher educational facilities
for African Americans
Challenged his students to work hard
Weaknesses

“Philosophy of Negro education”


Condoned Booker T. Washington’s sentiment that
higher education for African Americans should be
limited to agricultural and vocational training
Agreed with G. V. Cools that education for African
Americans should include character building
Weaknesses

“Morale and the Negro college”


Stated that only a very small fraction of African
Americans should receive higher education
Suggested that they attend schools specifically for
African Americans
Influence
Kenneth Clark
 Sumner’s most famous former student
 Planned to attend medical school after
graduating from Howard University
 Changed his mind after taking an introductory
psychology class with Sumner

“To hell with medical school. [Psychology] is the
discipline for me.”
Kenneth Clark

“Professor Sumner had rigorous standards for his
students. And he didn't just teach psychology. He
taught integrity. And although he led the way for other
Blacks in psychology, Sumner would permit no
nonsense about there being anything like a ‘Black
psychology,’ any more than he would have allowed any
nonsense about a ‘Black astronomy.’ In this and in
many other ways, Sumner was a model for me. In fact,
he has always been my standard when I evaluate
myself.”
Kenneth Clark

Wrote and edited books on racial issues







Prejudice and Your Child (1955)
Dark Ghetto: Dilemmas of Social Power (1965)
Relevant War Against Poverty (1968)
Negro American (1968)
Pathos of Power (1974)
First African American president of the American
Psychological Association (1970-1971)
President of the Psychological Study of Social Issues
Kenneth Clark




Clark and his wife researched the effects of prejudice,
discrimination, and segregation on the developing
child.
Their work was cited in the 1954 Supreme Court case
that ended school segregation, Brown v. Board of
Education.
Sumner died before the ruling.
However, he was said to have been proud that one of
his students played such a significant role in what is
considered by many to be the most important
Supreme Court decision of the twentieth century.
Influence


Sawyer (2000)
Sumner had a hidden agenda in advocating for
school segregation on the basis of the
inferiority of African Americans.


Recognized the futility of arguing for equal,
integrated education
Placated Caucasians to receive economic and
political support for African American education
Summary of Presentation



First African American to earn a Ph.D. in
psychology
Known as the Father of Black American
Psychology
Encountered prejudice and discrimination at a
time when African Americans were punished
for speaking out
Summary of Presentation



Established an independent psychology
department at Howard University, where he
was an influential teacher
Advocated for school segregation, but his
intent was to provide higher quality education
for African Americans
Conducted research on racial issues, including
the administration of justice
Exam Questions
Which two colleges denied Sumner admission?
(a). American University and the University of
Illinois
(b). Lincoln University and the University of Illinois
(c). American University and West Virginia
Collegiate Institute
(d). The University of Oklahoma and Auburn
University
(e). Clark University and Howard University
Exam Questions
In his articles “Philosophy of Negro education” and
“Morale and the Negro college,” Sumner stated that:
(a). African Americans are inferior to Caucasians.
(b). Education for African Americans should include
character building.
(c). Higher education should be offered to a very
small fraction of African Americans.
(d). School segregation should continue.
(e). All of the above
Exam Questions
Sumner’s most famous former student is:
(a). Frederick Payne Watts
(b). Kenneth Bancroff Clark
(c). Horace Mann Bond
(d). Charles Henry Turner
(e). Angie King
References





Guthrie, R. V. (2004). Even the rat was white: A historical
view of psychology (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Sawyer, T. F. (2000). Francis Cecil Sumner: His views and
influence on African American higher education. History of
Psychology, 3, 122-141.
Schultz, D. P. & Schultz, S. E. (2004). A history of modern
psychology (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Sumner, F. C. & Campbell, A. S. (1939). Attitudes toward the
administration of justice. Journal of Psychology:
Interdisciplinary and Applied, 8, 23-52.
Sumner, F. C. & Clark, K. B. (1945). Some factors influencing
a group of Negroes in their estimation of the intelligence and
personality-wholesomeness of Negro subjects. Journal of
Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 19, 75-78.
References







Sumner, F. C. & Lee, J. A. (1941). Some resemblances
between friends of like sex and between friends of unlike sex
among a group of Negro college students. Journal of
Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 12, 199-201.
Sumner, F. C. & Shaed, D. L. (1945). Negro-white attitudes
towards the administration of justice as affecting Negroes.
Journal of Applied Psychology, 29, 368-377.
Sumner, F. C. & Sumner, F. H. (1931). The mental health of
white and negro college students. Journal of Abnormal and
Social Psychology, 26, 28-36.
http://www.arches.uga.edu/~tmoney/index.html
http://www.arches.uga.edu/~tmoney/page2.html
http://www.earlham.edu/~knigher/Contributions.htm
http://www.earlham.edu/~knigher/personal%20biography.htm
References


http://www.earlham.edu/~knigher/Professional%20Biography.
htm
http://www.earlham.edu/~knigher/sumner.htm