Finding aid for the Donald K. Adams papers

Biography of Donald K. Adams

Donald K. Adams was born March 6, 1902, in Orrville, Ohio. Adams received his Bachelor of Arts from Pennsylvania State College in 1923, his Masters degree from Harvard University in 1925, and his doctorate from Yale University in 1927. Throughout his academic career, Adams worked as research assistant for the Bureau of Educational Research at Bloomsburg State Teachers College from 1922-1923, mathematics teacher for Donora High School from 1923-1924, and research assistant for the Institute of Psychology at Yale University from 1925-1928.

Once Adams received his masters he became an instructor in psychology at Wesleyan University from 1928-1929, assistant professor of psychology at Duke University from 1931-1946, and became chairman of the department of psychology at Duke University in 1947-1951.

In 1945, Adams became the research leader for the Morale Division, U.S. Strategic Bombing Srurvey of Japan and from 1946-1948, Adams was Chief Clinical Psychologist with the Veterans Administration. He also served as a consultant in psychology for the Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. in 1950-1952.

Scope and Content

The Donald K. Adams papers reflect all aspects of Adams' career from his class notes taken as a graduate student at Harvard (1924-1925) through his associations with members of the Gestalt school of psychology, his work with military agencies, and materials related to his work as a faculty member at Duke University. Among the topics represented: personality, motivation, learning, animal behavior, and extrasensory perception.

Statement of Arrangement

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Subject Headings

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Preferred Citation

Cite as: [identification of item], [folder number, box number], Archives of the History of American Psychology, The Drs. Nicholas and Dorothy Cummings Center for the History of Psychology - The University of Akron