Birthday quote 7th July

Lillien Jane Martin
Lillie Jane Martin was born on July 7, 1851 in Olean, New York. Several years later she changed her name to Lillien. Her mother encouraged her daughter from an early age to pursue an education; her father was a college-educated merchant who abandoned the family. At her own insistence, Martin was enrolled into the Olean Academy at four years of age. Following her graduation at 16, she and her family moved to Racine, Wisconsin. In Racine, Martin accepted a position at Kemper Hall, an Episcopal girl's school in Kenosha.

Martin continued with her education throughout her entire life. Her goal was to earn enough money to attend college but it was not until 1875 that she was able to afford college. Then, she entered Vassar College on a scholarship. She studied at Vassar from 1875 to 1880 and majored in natural sciences. Her good grades and strong work ethic earned her the nickname "little owl." Following her graduation from Vassar in 1880, she held a high school teaching position in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Martin studied psychology at the University of Gottingen, in Germany. At Gottingen, Martin trained as an experimental psychologist and eventually became Müller's assistant; together they conducted research on the psychophysics of lifted weights. From 1894 to 1898, Martin remained at Gottingen. She conducted research on a great diversity of subjects, including aesthetics, perception, imageless thought, and humor. For fifteen years, she published extensively in German and returned to Germany every summer to study and conduct research.

In 1899, Martin received a telegram from the President of Stanford University, inviting her to join Professor Frank Angell in the psychology faculty at Stanford. Martin began her career at Stanford as an assistant professor in 1899, before being promoted to associate professor in 1909 and to full professor in 1911.

Throughout the 1930s, Martin was one of the most well-known woman psychologists in America. She was recognized for her contributions to clinical psychology and public service. Martin also conducted research in psychophysics and aesthetics. In 1929, Martin founded the Old Age Center, the first counseling center ever established for senior citizens. Here she attempted to implement a system that promoted healthy living and productivity to combat the effects of old age. The Old Age Center and the farm were extremely successful and occupied her time until her death from bronchopneumonia at the age of 92, in 1943.

Born 7th June, 1851 in Olean, New York, USA
Died 26th March, 1943

The community had a feeling of contempt for the father, or brother, or other male breadwinner who could not maintain his women-folk in idleness. Just how many capable, energetic women were sacrificed on this altar we shall never know.

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