17 Ruth Howard

General Biography

Ruth Howard was an African American woman whose place was erased from history. Born on March 4th, 1900, Howard was the first African American woman to obtain a doctorate degree in psychology. Howard was born in Washington, DC, the youngest of eight children. Howard’s father worked as a minister at Zion Baptist Church; she later expressed that he was the reason she decided she wanted to pursue a career with people. Howard ended up marrying Albert Beckham, losing him in 1964 (Saltzman, 2010). Howard dedicated her life to raising the standards for mental health and breaking down education barriers for women and people of color, leaving a legacy behind her that will continue past her death (Flora & Li-Barber, 2023).

Howard began her education at Dubner High School, continuing on to her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Simmons College, obtaining a degree in social work (Flora & Li-Barber, 2023). Howard pursued career options by working in different facilities, such as the Cleveland Urban League and the Cleveland Child Welfare Agency, where she practiced social work and worked in dysfunctional homes (Saltzman, 2010). While working at the Child Welfare Agency, she directly worked with children in marginalized family situations and those in foster care. Through her time working with other agencies, she realized the lack of understanding and empathy that these employed individuals had for cultural groups other than their own. The lack of concern for the community they were serving created barriers between them and their clients, the children. Howard wanted to break down this barrier to better understand the feelings, attitudes, and behaviors of the children and the community at large, which she was helping (Held, 2010).

Based on a recommendation from the Cleveland Board of Education, Howard went on to pursue a doctorate degree in psychology after a great need in the black community was recognized. She sought out and specialized in child development, hoping to be a mentor for the black community (Saltzman, 2010). After spending a year at a technical college, Howard transfers to the University of Minnesota, where she finishes her Ph.D. and conducts research in child development (Flora & Li-Barber, 2023).

Howard can be described as someone who gave back to her community. She was a part of many organizations that supported the progression of women in science, such as the National Association of College Women, the International Council of Women Psychologists, and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (Flora & Li-Barber, 2023). She was also a known advocate and volunteer for multiple organizations, such as the Young Women’s Christian Association. She also furthered her career by becoming the first female juvenile court judge in Chicago, which was furthered by her concern for young women in the system (Saltzman, 2010). Ruth Howard lived her life as an advocate for those in need, a leader, and a pioneer, whose work will pave the way for generations ahead of her.

There is not much information that was able to be recorded about the death of Howard. According to Howard’s great-niece, Ms. Bertha French, Howard died on February 12, 1997, in Washington, DC (Saltzman, 2010). Saltzman (2010) stated that Howard had left a legacy behind her. One in which she cheered and praised women psychologists for reaching their potential and fighting for their recognition. Howard became the woman who deserved the recognition she sought out for others, as she had paved the way for women psychologists in years to come.

Important Achievements

Ruth Howard is known for her doctoral dissertation study “The Developmental History of a Group of Triplets” (Howard, 1947). This study is the first in-print study of a large group of triplets of varied ages from diverse ethnic backgrounds (Beckman, 2022). In this study, there were 229 sets of triplets, ranging in age from infancy to 79 years old (Saltzman, 2010). Howard’s dissertation looked at the various traits and development of triplets in comparison to twins and singletons. One main finding from this study was that, in comparison to twins and singletons, multiple-born children, such as triplets, lag behind developmentally. Most of the triplets were of low socioeconomic backgrounds, and their families tended to be larger or have a history of multiple births in their ancestry. This information, from Howard’s dissertation, is significant as development is vital to survival, and children, especially multiples, are often more at risk for premature death (Howard, 1947). Her research took 12–15 years to be published, with no clear reason why (Saltzman, 2010). It was later published in the Journal of Psychology in 1946 and a year later in the Journal of Genetic Psychology (Govan, 2022). Howard’s dissertation was the most comprehensive study of triplets to date (Saltzman, 2010).

Howard pursued multiple postdoctoral studies at the University of Chicago, where she had the opportunity to work with other psychologists. Her work with Virginia Axline and their study of play therapy concluded from interviews with kindergarteners and fourth graders that war attitudes could be detected (Saltzman, 2010). This research was later published in 1944 as the publication “Fantasy and Play Interview” (Beckman, 2022). While pursuing postdoctoral studies, Howard and her husband, Albert Beckham, co-directed the Center for Psychological Services, known as their private practice (Beckman, 2022; Saltzman, 2010). This center was located in Chicago, Illinois, where Howard and Beckham lived (Held, 2010). Through her work at the center, Howard studied client-centered reading and play therapy. While working at the center, Howard also dedicated time to consulting with Chicago hospitals and agencies regarding child development as well as working in nursing education for Black women (Nance, 2019). At this time, she was also the supervisor at the National Youth Administration and helped organize the National Association of College Women (Saltzman, 2010; Flora & Li-Barber, 2023). Howard was also recognized as the psychologist for the Chicago Board of Health (Nance, 2019).

Historical Context

The study of child psychology began around the mid-19th century with figures such as Charles Darwin and William Preyer, but Jean Piaget is commonly referred to as the father of the field. Piaget’s 1936 theory is still thought of as a leading theory of cognitive development (Simatwa, 2010). As a whole, the field of child development was still relatively new when Ruth Howard began her work. While Howard’s triplet study was the first of its kind, it may have had some influence from studies such as Francis Galton’s 1875 study, “The History of Twins.” Galton’s study looked at the changes in the similarity between twins over time, both for twins raised together and apart (Brandt, 2019). Howard’s study compared the development of triplets to that of twins, making it plausible that Galton’s work on twins paved the way.

Within the field of psychology, Howard was likely strongly influenced by Dr. Florence Goodenough, her mentor during her doctoral research at the University of Minnesota (Saltzman, 2010). Goodenough could also be considered a pioneer of child psychology, having devised the Draw-a-Man intelligence test for her Ph.D. thesis in the 1920s. In this test intended for children from ages 2-13, participants are handed a blank sheet of paper and instructed to draw a man in as much detail as possible (Zeltzer, 2008). The non-verbal test’s purpose is to measure intellectual maturation, and it remained popular for quite some time, being within the top ten most popular tests in clinical psychology almost 40 years after being introduced (Rodkey, 2010).

Howard also drew influence from Virginia Axline, a prominent child psychologist with whom she worked at the University of Chicago. Axline is perhaps best known for her work on child-centered play therapy, which started in the 1940s (GoodTherapy, 2011). Play therapy is still used today, and Axline’s non-directive approach to play therapy allowed the children to explore things at their own pace and was found to be quite effective (Stich, 2020). Axline’s influence can be seen in a 1944 study, published by Howard, in which she used this play-oriented style with young children. However, Howard’s purpose here was not to treat the children but rather to ascertain war attitudes (Saltzman, 2010).

Albert Beckham, Howard’s husband and fellow psychologist, was a pioneer in his own right, being the first African American to hold the title of a school psychologist. Before meeting Howard, Beckham gained plenty of experience teaching all psychology courses at Howard University, as well as providing intelligence tests and counseling at a laboratory he started on campus. His main area of interest was children and their education (American Psychological Association, 2014). Beckham and Howard’s influence on each other can be seen in the work they conducted following their marriage. They both spent time together at the Institute of Juvenile Research in Illinois, and their experience working with children and adolescents likely inspired them to open the Center for Psychological Services in 1940. Howard’s influence on the future extended beyond just her research. Through her membership in organizations such as the American Association of University Women, the National Association of College Women, and the International Council of Women Psychologists, Howard and her peers were able to push for positive changes for women in the field on a policy level. Directly through her social work and private practice, Howard was able to help women and children on a personal basis (Rodkey, 2010).

There is limited information available on who Howard specifically influenced. However, future psychologists such as Saundra Murrey Nettles, who studied resilience in adolescents, likely felt some influence from her (George, 2012). Howard published the first in-print triplet study in 1946. Since then, there have been a number of twin and triplet studies that may have been influenced by Howard. Howard went on to finish her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota, which became home to the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart, which began in 1979 (Segal, 2021). Although the purposes of this study and Howard’s were not the same, Howard’s meticulous work on her own study may have paved the way for subsequent studies.

Ruth Howard toiled tirelessly to help women and children from her early work as a social worker, roles within professional organizations, and as a research clinician. When considering the zeitgeist of the time in which she was prominent, one may gain a better understanding of her drive. Howard was born in 1900, a time in which a substantial number of African Americans began moving north, largely in part due to the oppression in the South. Other instances included the increased demand for industrial workers due to less European immigration following World War I (Civics Renewal Network, 2023). While their lives in the South improved, the barriers in front of African Americans were far from torn down. The Great Depression that followed hurt many, but it affected the African American community disproportionately. Due to the majority working in economy-dependent jobs, and racist policies prioritizing White workers, they experienced an unemployment rate almost three times that of white people (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., n.d.). Due to centuries of oppression, African Americans continue to be in an incredibly disadvantaged position.

As an African American woman in the 20th century, Howard was undoubtedly influenced by a plethora of events. Both the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Rights Movement took place around the middle of the century, with their influence on Howard and her influence on these movements, can be seen by the aforementioned memberships in both the National Association of College Women and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. During World War II, Howard was pursuing her postdoctoral studies at the University of Chicago. The war’s influence on her can be directly seen in her 1944 study of kindergarteners’ and fourth graders’ war attitudes.

Historical Impact

Ruth Howard was the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology, an accomplishment that was a significant milestone in American history. She spent her career dedicated to helping women and children. Howard worked to better her community and to advocate for those in the minority from the very beginning of her career. Later in her doctoral studies, she laid the groundwork for women in general in psychology (American Psychological Association, 2013). An example of this is Howard’s dissertation, the first study to evaluate the development of triplets (Howard, 1947). Her study found that triplets fall behind when it comes to meeting developmental milestones. This study’s findings are significant, as parents and medical providers use a scale to rate whether a child is on track with their milestones or not. If a child appears to be off track, this can be cause for concern. Therefore, Howard’s study filled previous gaps in science regarding child development.

Howard and many other psychologists from historically marginalized groups are absent from some historical accounts, as shown by Cramblet Alvarez and colleagues’ (2020) study, in which Ruth Howard’s name is not mentioned once across five prevalent History of Psychology textbooks. Although her influence on psychology has been muted, it is nonetheless strong. Howard achieved much during a hostile time, and she directly helped many in disadvantaged situations.

Ruth Howard, a scientist, student, volunteer, and clinician, paved the way for the future of education. Howard used her opportunities to ensure that women in science received the recognition they deserved and centered her life’s work around recognizing their potential (Saltzman, 2010). Howard also closed gaps in regard to child development and what is known today about developmental milestones. By doing so, there is less of a concern when multiple-birth children are not reaching the same goals as children their own age. Overall, Howard’s dedication to humankind and advocacy for recognizing cultural differences were a force to be reckoned with.

References

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