Francis Sumner

For other people named Francis Sumner, see Francis Sumner (millowner).

Francis Cecil Sumner
Born	December 7, 1895(1895-12-07) Pine Bluff, Arkansas, U.S.
Died	January 12, 1954(1954-01-12) (aged 58) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Residence	Austria, (later) England
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	African-American
Alma mater	Lincoln University Clark University
Known for	Psychoanalysis/ First African American to receive a Ph.D in Psychology
Spouse	Frances HoustonDivorced Nettie M Broker 1946-

Francis Cecil Sumner (December 7, 1895 - January 12, 1954) was a pivotal leader in education reform. He is primarily known for being the first African American to receive a Ph.D in psychology. Francis Sumner was the first African-American to receive an earned doctorate in any American university. He worked closely with Hall during his time at Clark, and his dissertation—published in Pedagogical Seminary, which later became the Journal of Genetic Psychology—focused on "Psychoanalysis of Freud and Adler."

Early life

Francis Cecil Sumner was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas on December 7, 1895. He was the second son of David Alexander and Ellen Lillian Sumner and younger brother to Eugene Sumner.

Education

Sumner received his elementary education in Norfolk, Virginia,and Plainfield, New Jersey. Sumner then proceeded to self-educate himself, with much help from his parents, of whom were self-educated. His parents gave him many assignments to do, which consisted of many days of intense reading and writing. To buy the school books necessary, his parents would work extra hours.

In 1915 at the age of 15, Sumner passed a written test to gain acceptance into Lincoln University, he graduated Magna Cum Laude Sumner then went to Clark University in 1916 and in the Fall he received his 2nd Bachelor's Degree in English. He then returned to Lincoln University as a graduate student and as a teacher of psychology and German, After receiving his M.A. in 1917, he then returned to Clark University where Hall approved his application for a Ph.D. Sumner was drafted by the United States Military in 1918 to 1919. He was sent to Camp Meade Maryland for basic training with the 48th Company, 154 Depot Brigade. After than Sumner remained in France until he was discharged in the middle of 1919. After his doctoral dissertation entitled "Psychoanalysis of Freud and Adler" was accepted he received his Doctorate degree from Clark University on June 14, 1920, making him the first African-American to ever receive a Ph.D in the field of psychology. While at Lincoln Sumner developed close relationships with President Stanley Hall, and Dean of Psychology James P. Porter, the latter being seen as a force behind his decision to choose psychology as graduate program. Sumner continue to intensely read, and at one point thought of becoming a writer, of which he did later on, and in his manuscript "Sumner recalled the support and guidance given to him by Hall at Clark" (Guthrie, 1998)

Career

Upon his graduation Sumner accepted a professor position at Wilberforce University in the fall of 1920. In the summer of 1921 he went to teach at Southern University in Louisiana, a HBCU. In fall of 1921 he accepted a position at West Virginia Collegiate Institute, where he wrote many articles dealing with the state of colleges and acceptance of African-Americans or the lack thereof and remained for the next 7 years. Sumner resigned from West Virginia Collegiate Institute on August 31, 1928. He then moved on to Howard University in the fall of 1928, and became the acting chairman and professor, until 1930 upon which time he became the fully appointed chair of Psychology and succeeded in making the department independent from Philosophy. Sumner held the position until he died on January 12, 1954.

Personal life

Sumner married Francees H. Hughston in 1922, the marriage ended in divorce. He then married Nettie M. Broker in 1946. No children were a product of either relationship.

Death

Dr. Francis Cecil Sumner died of a heart attack outside his home in Washington D.C. on January 12, 1954. Many students described Dr. Sumner as a "low keyed and very dedicated"; as a very quiet and very unassuming individual who was brilliant with tremendous capacity to make an analysis of an individual's gestalt"; and as "Howard's most stimulating scholar" (Guthrie, 1998, p. 229)

External links

• Francis Cecil Sumner
• http://www.guilford.edu/academics/departments/african_american/psychologists.html
• Guthrie, R.V. Francis Cecil Sumner. Father of Black American Psychologists. Even the Rat was White (pp. 214–232). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
• McGraw-Hill. (2002). Early Minority Psychologists. Retrieved March 4, 2002. Website: http://www.dushkin.com/connectext/psy/ch01/eminority.mhtm
• Sawyer, T.F. (2000). Francis Cecil Sumner: His views and influence on African American higher education. History of Psychology, 3(2), 122-141.
• Talmadge, W.T. (2001). Francis Cecil Sumner. Retrieved March 4, 2002. Website: http://www.arches.uga.edu/~tmoney/

References

Goodwin, C. J. (2005). A History of Modern Psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.