Disciplines
Oral History
Abstract
Dr. John W., Ph.D., had a career in Fordham’s psychology department spanning nearly 60 years. After graduating from FCRH honors in 1957 with a degree in psychology, he attained his doctorate in the psychology of human learning from Clark University. He returned to Fordham as a faculty member, where he worked as a full professor until his retirement in 2006. Dr. John was widely recognized for his contributions to the field of human behavior and statistics, his lively classroom environments, and his service as chair of the psychology department.
Dr. John reflects in his interview on the academic expectations and structure of the honors seminars. Although his honors cohort began with about 30 students in the probationary sophomore year, only nine continued with the program due to demanding readings, weekly seminars, and strict expectations. Junior year was particularly formative, centered on science and philosophy with readings from pre-Socratics, Aquinas, Descartes, and scientific thinkers like Darwin and Pasteur. Despite the rigor, he found the seminars intellectually rich and the social aspect limited, as most students were commuters.
John’s senior thesis was in experimental psycho-physics under the direction of Father Zegers, who later went on to support his return to Fordham as a professor of psychology. Overall, he believes the FCRH honors program was invaluable in supporting his interdisciplinary intellectual development, formation of lifelong connections, and building critical research skills.
John’s interview was conducted by Kevin McKenna and Antonella Iannarino, FCRH honors class of 2007.
Recommended Citation
FCRH Honors Program. "Interview with John O. ," FCRH Honors Program Oral History Project, Fordham University, 2025. https://research.library.fordham.edu/honorsprogram_fcrh_oral_history/
