John Janeway Conger (February 27, 1921 – June 24, 2006) was an American psychologist and a past president of the

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...

(APA). He was the dean of the

University of Colorado School of Medicine The University of Colorado School of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Colorado system. It is located at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado, one of the four University of Colorado campuses, six miles east of downtow ...

, and he advised five U.S. presidents on psychology-related matters.

Biography

Conger was born on February 27, 1921. He was educated at

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educati ...

and

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

. He served in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and commanded the USS Tweedy (DE-532). Conger was associated with the University of Colorado School of Medicine for many years, including service as the medical school's dean. He was the first psychologist in the country to become a medical school dean. He also became known for his research into adolescent personality and psychopathology. The school awarded him a University Medal in 1986 and an honorary Doctor of Science in 1989. In the 1950s, Conger wrote a textbook titled ''Child Development and Personality''. Until his book was published, developmental psychology textbooks were usually organized by topic and not by developmental stage. Conger served as the child psychology expert on the Mental Health Commission established by President Carter, and

Rosalynn Carter Eleanor Rosalynn Carter ( ; née Smith; born August 18, 1927) is an American writer and activist who served as First Lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981 as the wife of President Jimmy Carter. For decades, she has been a leading advocate ...

was said to have enjoyed conversations with him. Conger was appointed to presidential commissions under five administrations. He was the 1981 president of the APA. He was vice president of the

MacArthur Foundation The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private foundation that makes grants and impact investments to support non-profit organizations in approximately 50 countries around the world. It has an endowment of $7.0 billion and p ...

. Conger died in Denver on June 24, 2006. He was survived by his wife, who he had married on January 1, 1944. The University of Colorado School of Medicine sponsors the John J. Conger, PhD Lectureship in Child Mental Health Policy Endowment.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conger, John J. 1921 births 2006 deaths Presidents of the American Psychological Association Amherst College alumni Yale University alumni 20th-century American psychologists United States Navy personnel of World War II Members of the National Academy of Medicine