Marjory Bates Pratt Explained

Marjory Bates Pratt (16 July 1896 – 7 July 1992) was an American psychologist and poet.

Early life

Marjory Bates was born on 16 July 1896 in Waterville, Maine to Horatio Dennis and Abby Francis (Caldwell) Bates.^[1] She received her B.A. from Smith College in 1917, and her M.A. and doctorate in psychology from Clark University in 1920 and 1922, respectively.^{[2] [3]} She worked as an instructor in psychology at Wellesley College and Ohio State University.^{[4] [5]}

In 1917 she married Carroll C. Pratt, also a psychologist.^[6] The two were both fellows in experimental psychology at Clark University, where they became friends with Edwin Boring and his wife Lucy.^[7] In 1962, the Pratts moved to Pennington, New Jersey. They had two children.

Later life

She was an active member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation; she organized at least one civil rights workshop with them,^[8] opposed the Vietnam War,^[9] and protested against the biological warfare research program at Fort Detrick.^[10]

She published several books of haiku throughout her life, as well as a book of visual designs based on the phonetic qualities of Shakespeare's sonnets. Her haiku have been included in The Haiku Anthology (Anchor Press, 1974), Canadian Haiku Anthology (Three Trees Press, 1979), and The Haiku Handbook (McGraw-Hill, 1985). She was also a calligrapher, and taught calligraphy classes with the Princeton Adult School.^[11]

She died on 7 July 1992 at the Hunterdon Medical Center.

Works

• "The visual estimation of angles." Journal of Experimental Psychology (Vol. 9, Issue 2), April 1926, pages 132-140.
• Formal Designs from Ten Shakespeare Sonnets (1940)
• Caldwells & Clipper Ships (1965?)
• The Light on the Snow (1979?)

External links

• Record for Marjory Bates Pratt's papers, part of the Maine Women Writers Collection at the University of New England (Portland campus).

Notes and References

1. Book: Briggs. Priscilla Lorena Pratt. Phinehas Pratt's descendants: with narratives and biographies, 1622-1980. registration. 1980. 40.
2. News: Town Topics (Princeton, N.J.). 18 January 2016. 47. 15 July 1992.
3. Clark University Bulletin. May 1921. 5. 151. Clark University. 18 January 2016.
4. Calendar 1921-1922. Wellesley College Bulletin . November 1921. 108. 2027/uiug.30112112295701.
5. University Directory. 1922. The Ohio State University Bulletin. XXVII. 4. 38. Ohio State University. 2027/osu.32435070473624.
6. Book: Smith Alumnae Quarterly. 1924. 508. 18 January 2016.
7. Book: Boring. Edwin G.. Psychologist at large: an autobiography and selected essays. 1961. Basic Books. 34. registration. 18 January 2016.
8. News: Town Topics (Princeton, N.J.). 18 January 2016. 22 April 1965.
9. Town Topics (Princeton, N.J.). 18 February 1965. Donald C. Stuart, Jr., 1946-1981, Dan D. Coyle, 1946-1973, Donald C. Stuart III, 1981-2001, Lynn Adams Smith, 2001- . 18 January 2016.
10. Town Topics (Princeton, N.J.). 14 January 1961.
11. Town Topics (Princeton, N.J.). 4 September 1969. Donald C. Stuart, Jr., 1946-1981, Dan D. Coyle, 1946-1973, Donald C. Stuart III, 1981-2001, Lynn Adams Smith, 2001- . 18 January 2016.