1900-1997
Ruth Winifred Howard Beckham was the first African American woman to be awarded an Ph.D. in Psychology by the University of Minnesota in 1934. She was born in Washington D.C. and had seven siblings. She first attended college in Boston and majored in social work. After earning her bachelors, she studied child psychology at the Child Development Institute at the University of Minnesota. Her dissertation examined the developmental trends of triplets compared to single born children. Based on her experience as a social worker sought to work against the prevalence of Black children being labeled as mentally retarded. She became actively involved with several professional and volunteer organizations such as the APA, International Council of Women Psychologists, National Organization of College Women, and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
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