Behind The Name

Leta Hollingworth (1886-1939) was a teacher and a psychologist who studied women and gifted and talented children. Born in Dawes County, Nebraska, she attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, the state capitol. It was here that she met her future husband, Henry Hollingworth. They were married in 1908 and soon after, moved to New York.

 

Dr. Hollingworth's Bachelor's degree qualified her to teach Literature in high school. However, she was unable to get a teaching job as married women were expected to be housewives and mothers. She decided to return to school and received a Master's Degree in Education from Columbia University in 1913.

 

While pursuing her Ph.D., Dr. Hollingworth worked part-time as a psychologist at a hospital for the mentally handicapped. She gave I.Q. tests and worked with a variety of children. It was while working at the hospital that she became interested in gifted and talented children and their needs. In 1916 she received her Ph.D. and became a professor of educational psychology at Columbia University. While at this post, she continued to volunteer at the hospital, conducted studies and the psychology of women and children, and published books about her research.

 

Dr. Hollingworth wrote many books, including: "The Psychology of Subnormal Children" (1920), "Special Talents and Defects: (1923), and "Gifted Children" (1926). She continued to work with gifted children for the rest of her life. She believed that the normal school environment did not meet the needs of gifted students, and she researched how best to educate them.

 

Dr. Leta Hollingworth is the pioneering psychologist and educator who we chose to name our school after. At the L. Hollingworth School, we strive to meet the educational needs of our students in ways best suited to them and their families.