Franz Samelson (September 23, 1923 – March 16, 2015) was a German-American social psychologist and historian of psychology.[1]

Franz Samelson
Born(1923-09-23)September 23, 1923
Breslau, Germany
DiedMarch 16, 2015(2015-03-16) (aged 91)
CitizenshipUnited States
Alma materUniversity of Munich
University of Michigan
Known forWork on the history of psychology
Spouse
Phoebe Samelson
(m. 1955⁠–⁠2015)
ChildrenKaren Samelson
Scientific career
FieldsSocial psychology
InstitutionsKansas State University
Thesis Group pressure and incongruity in the cognitive field as determinants of conformity  (1956)

Samelson was born on September 23, 1923, in present-day Wroclaw, Poland (then known as Breslau, Germany).[1] Prohibited by the laws of Nazi Germany from attending any German universities, he instead attended a photography school in Munich, where he later worked in a factory with prisoners of war. After World War II ended, he began working for the United States Army. He also enrolled at the University of Munich, where he received a diploma in psychology in 1952.[2]

In 1952, he emigrated to the United States, following his older brother Hans. He went on to receive his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Michigan in 1956.[2] He joined the faculty of Kansas State University in 1957, where he remained until retiring as Professor in 1990.[1]

Samelson died on March 16, 2015, in Manhattan, Kansas.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Harris, Ben (January 2016). "Franz Samelson (1923-2015)". The American Psychologist. 71 (1): 76. doi:10.1037/a0039683. ISSN 1935-990X. PMID 26766769.
  2. ^ a b "Obituaries" (PDF). Psytalk. Kansas State University. Fall 2015. p. 8. Retrieved 2018-09-15.

Further reading

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