Carolyn R. Payton (1925-2001)

 

Background

Carolyn R. Payton was born in Norfolk, Virginia on May 13^th 1925. Her grandparents were former slaves and African royalty. Her father was a chef and her mother was a seamstress and homemaker. Payton’s family was very close-knit and her parents valued the importance of education. Payton lived in Washington D.C. for the majority of her life. She married Raymond Rudolph Payton, a police detective, but the marriage lasted less than four years and the two divorced in 1951. Carolyn Payton died in her home on April 11^th2001. Payton is remembered for her contributions to the psychology of minorities and her vast achievements throughout her life.

In 1945, Payton obtained her bachelor’s degree in home economics from Bennett College for women in North Carolina. She then pursued the study of psychology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She was the only black graduate student in her class and received her master’s degree in clinical psychology in 1948. Payton wrote her master’s thesis on the comparison between white and black intelligence in which she found no differences. Immediately after obtaining her master’s degree she was hired as an instructor in psychology at Livingstone College, North Carolina. She was the only psychologist in the faculty. In 1953, Payton was hired as the Dean of Women with an appointment in psychology at Virginia State College in Petersburg, Virginia. During this time she was also taking classes at Columbia University to obtain her PhD in counseling psychology, which she was finally awarded in 1962. In 1959, she became assistant professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C. where she studied the perception of primates and taught abnormal psychology, child psychology, and even experimental psychology. She then became involved in the Peace Corps as a member and field selection officer. In 1966, Payton was appointed deputy director of the Peace Corps. She returned to Howard University from 1970 to 1977 to direct the University of Counseling Service. In 1977, she was appointed Peace Corps director by President Jimmy Carter. Payton was the first women and first African American to perform the job. After tension with the director of action, Sam Brown, forced her to resign in 1979 she returned to Howard University again to become Dean of Counseling and Career Development. During this time she focused on minority psychology especially for African Americans.

Psychology of Women

            Payton made many contributions to the field of psychology through her membership in the American Psychological Association (APA). During her 40 years as a member she worked with underrepresented groups such as women, gays, and lesbians. She gave these groups a voice and advocated for their equality. From 1979 to 1982 Payton was the chair of the APA committee on women in psychology.  In 1985 she received the distinguished leader for women in psychology award from the APA committee on women in psychology. This was followed by another award from the APA in 1977 for outstanding lifetime contributions to psychology. Payton is known for her outstanding work with women and other minority groups.

Refrences

http://www.feministvoices.com/carolyn-robertson-payton/

http://psychology.okstate.edu/museum/women/p-sp.html

http://www.apadivisions.org/division-35/about/heritage/carolyn-payton-biography.aspx

 

Posted by Amanda Corwin