Hugh Victor Perkins Jr. (June 9, 1918 – February 10, 1988) was an American
educator
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...
, author, and
emeritus
''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus".
In some c ...
professor of education at the Department of Human Development,
University of Maryland - College Park. His influence on
developmental psychology
Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence, adult development ...
,
teaching
Teaching is the practice implemented by a ''teacher'' aimed at transmitting skills (knowledge, know-how, and interpersonal skills) to a learner, a student, or any other audience in the of an educational institution. Teaching is closely related ...
,
learning
Learning is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviors, skills, value (personal and cultural), values, Attitude (psychology), attitudes, and preferences. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, non-human animals, and ...
, and
education
Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
from the late 1940s into the 1980s is based on his textbooks and other scholarly publications (see below), his over 35 years of teaching and graduate mentoring, and his many teacher and principal trainings as an early
Fulbright
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...
Fellow and lecturer in
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
in 1958–1959, and later throughout the United States.
Early life and education
Perkins was born in
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...
, and raised in
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 45,312 at the 2020 census. One of Cleveland's historic streetcar suburbs, it was founded as a village in 1903 and a city in 1921.
History
The area that is ...
. His mother was Frances Adams Perkins and his father, Hugh V. Perkins Sr., was a vice principal at
Cleveland Heights High School
Cleveland Heights High School is the senior high school of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District, located in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, United States.
History
Cleveland Heights High School was established in 1901 by the ...
and received his Ph.D. in education from
Western Reserve University
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
* Western, New York, a town in the US
* Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
* Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that ...
. Hugh V. Jr. ("Vic") graduated
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational lib ...
with a B.A. and Bachelor of School Music in 1941. After serving in the Seventh U.S. Army in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Perkins received an M.A. in counseling and guidance (1946) and a Ph.D. in educational psychology with a doctoral dissertation on ''The effects of social-emotional climate and curriculum on group learning of in-service teachers'' (1949) in the Committee on Human Development at the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
. Perkins studied with
Carl Rogers
Carl Ransom Rogers (January 8, 1902 – February 4, 1987) was an American psychologist who was one of the founders of humanistic psychology and was known especially for his person-centered psychotherapy. Rogers is widely considered one of the f ...
,
Lee Cronbach
Lee Joseph Cronbach (April 22, 1916 – October 1, 2001) was an American educational psychologist who made contributions to psychological testing and measurement.
At the University of Illinois, Urbana, Cronbach produced many of his works: the " ...
, and other noted psychologists at Chicago. He was also mentored by Daniel Prescott, who had worked with
Jean Piaget
Jean William Fritz Piaget (, ; ; 9 August 1896 – 16 September 1980) was a Swiss psychologist known for his work on child development. Piaget's theory of cognitive development and epistemological view are together called genetic epistemology.
...
and with whom Perkins moved, along with the Institute for Child Study, to Maryland. In 1957, Perkins received an Ed.D. in
early childhood and
elementary education
Primary education is the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle schools, de ...
from
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
with a dissertation entitled ''A study of selected factors influencing perceptions of and changes in children's self-concepts.'' In retirement, Perkins earned a master's degree in public affairs and had completed all but his dissertation toward a third doctorate, the last one in
national security
National security, or national defence (national defense in American English), is the security and Defence (military), defence of a sovereign state, including its Citizenship, citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of ...
studies from the
University of Maryland
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the Univ ...
, when he died in Madras, India, in 1988.
Career
In 1958–1959, Perkins received a
Fulbright
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...
Fellowship to give workshops and lectures all over
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. His child development course in Karachi is considered the first of its kind for educators and parents in Pakistan.
Perkins served as deputy director of the Institute for Child Study in the College of Education at the
University of Maryland
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the Univ ...
from 1960 to 1981, was acting director from 1976 to 1978, and Chair of the Department of Human Development, 1982–1983. He has been recognized as one of the most important educational thinkers in history.
[Perkins, D.D., Perkins, D.V., Perkins, K.A. (2024). Hugh Victor Perkins, Jr.. In: B.A. Geier (ed.), ''The Palgrave Handbook of Educational Thinkers''. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81037-5_222-1 ]
Books
* Perkins, Hugh V. (1974). Human development and learning (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub. Co. (1st edition: 1969)
* Perkins, Hugh V. (1975). Human development. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub. Co.
* Brandt, Richard Martin, & Perkins, Hugh V. (1956). Research evaluating a child study program (Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, Vol. 21, no. 1). Lafayette, IN: Child Development Publications.
Selected scholarly articles
* Perkins, Hugh V. (1950). The effects of climate and curriculum on group learning. Journal of Educational Research, 44(4), 269–286.
* Perkins, Hugh V. (1950). Teachers grow in understanding children. Educational Leadership, 7(5), 549–555.
* Perkins, Hugh V. (1951). Climate influences group learning. Journal of Educational Research, 45, 115–119.
* Perkins, Hugh V. (1955). Developmental tasks and the study of science. Educational Leadership, 12, 214–217.
* Perkins, Hugh V. (1958). Teachers' and peers' perceptions of children's self-concepts. Child Development, 29(2), 203–220.
* Perkins, Hugh V. (1958). Factors influencing change in children's self-concepts. Child Development, 29(2), 221–230.
* Perkins, Hugh V. (1964). A Procedure for Assessing the Classroom Behavior of Students and Teachers. American Educational Research Journal, 1(4), 249–260.
* Perkins, Hugh V. (1965). Classroom Behavior and Underachievement. American Educational Research Journal, 2(1), 1–12.
* Perkins, Hugh V. (1966). Federal participation and its results. Educational Leadership, 24(1), 39–45.
* Perkins, Hugh V. (1969). Clarifying Feelings Through Peer Interaction. Childhood Education, 45(7), 379–380.
* Perkins, Hugh V., & Robertson-Tchabo, Elizabeth A. (1981). Retirees Return to College: An Evaluative Study at One University Campus. Educational-Gerontology, 6(2), 273–287.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Hugh Victor
1918 births
1988 deaths
University of Maryland, College Park faculty
People from Toledo, Ohio
People from Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Writers from Ohio
Oberlin College alumni
Oberlin Conservatory of Music alumni
University of Maryland, College Park alumni
United States Army personnel of World War II
New York University alumni
University of Chicago alumni
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American writers
Case Western Reserve University alumni