Leta Stetter Hollingworth

By the0d0re

  • Leta is Born

    Leta was born on May 25, 1886 in Nebraska

  • Childhood: Losing her Mother and being Abandoned

    Leta's mother died when she was three years old. This caused her father to abandon her and her siblings and resulted in them moving in with their maternal grandparents.

  • Adolescence: Early Education

    Leta described that school was an escape for her. Her early education was in a one-room schoolhouse. She excelled in academics and discovered her passion for writing.

  • Adolescence: Her Father Returns and Abuse

    Ten years after abandoning the children, Leta's father forced them to leave their grandparents and have them move in with him and his current wife who was their stepmother. Leta is 13 at this time. Leta and her siblings would face abuse from their stepmother. Leta described the home as a "fiery furnace" due to the verbal and physical abuse along with the alcoholism that plagued the house.

  • Adolescence: Leaving Home

    After graduating high school, Leta left home.

  • Adolescence: High School and The Valentine Democrat

    Leta attended Valentine High School. Leta was discovered to be a talented writer at age 15. She would be hired for the Valentine Democrat where she would write columns for them every week.

  • Early Adulthood: College

    At age 16, Let attending the University of Nebraska where she studied writing and literature. She would work as an editor for The Daily Nebraskan, The Sombrero, and The Senior Book.

  • Early Adulthood: Getting Married

    During her time at the University of Nebraska, Leta got engaged to a man named Harry Hollingworth. They would later get married on December 31, 1908.

  • Young Adulthood: Teaching Career

    After graduating college, Leta moved on to start work in two Nebraska schools. The first school was in the hometown of her husband, DeWitt. The other was in the town of McCook.

  • Young Adulthood: Challenges

    Leta moved to New York with her husband and intended to teach there. She found that in the state, married women were not allowed to teach. This caused her to begin questioning the role of women and the inequality that women faced.

  • Young Adulthood: Turning Point

    Leta was offered a job to study caffeine at Coca-Cola by Harry. She would be hired as his research assistant and was able to earn enough money to attend and graduate from Colombia University.

  • Middle Adulthood: Psychology Beginnings

    Leta received her masters and began to work for the Clearing House of Mental Defectives to administer intelligence tests. She became the top scorer while working a position at Bellevue Hospital as chief of the psychological lab.

  • Middle to Late Adulthood: PhD

    After receiving her PhD she was offered a position at Columbia Teacher's College where she remained for the rest of her life. She would continue to study the psychology of women and children.