Born: October 25, 1875 - August 17, 1970
Personal Data
Married: Elsie L. Burr on May 18, 1907 & then Bonaro Wilkinson on August, 1932
Children: 3
Education
1899, Bachelor of Arts, University of California. (It took Overstreet five years to complete his BA due to job and family obligations)
1901, Bachelor of Arts, University of Oxford, 1901
Employment
1901-11 Instructor & Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley, CA
1911-39 Professor & Head of the Department of Philosophy, College of the City of New
York, New York, New York
1924-28 Lecturer, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1939-70 Professor Emeritus, College of the City of New York
1939-40 Lecturer, New School for Social Research, New York, New York
1948-49 Director, Leadership School, Town Hall, New York
Awards and Honors
1940-43, President of the American Association for Adult Education
America’s Town Meeting of the Air, Trustee
Beta Theta Pi
Carnot Medal for Excellence, intercollegiate debater
Pi Beta Kappa
Mills Traveling Fellowship, University of Oxford
Trustee at New School, Finch Junior College
Trustee for Philosophical Association
Membership-Professional Organizations
Publications
1925 Influencing Human Behavior
1927 About Ourselves: Psychology for Normal People
1931 The Enduring Quest
1933 We Move in a New Direction
1934 A Guide to Civilized Leisure
1937 A Declaration of Interdependence
1938* Town Meeting Comes to Town
1939 Let Me Think
1940* Leaders for Adult Education
1941 Our Free Minds
1949 The Mature Minds
1952 The Great Enterprise: Relating Ourselves to the World
1954* The Mind Alive
1956* The Mind Goes Forth
1963* The Iron Curtain: Where Freedom’s Offensive Begins
1964* The Strange Tactics of Extremism
1969* The FBI in our Open Society
Professional Interest Areas
Philosophy
Psychology
Sociology
Psychiatry
Liberal Idealism
Adult Education
Darwinism
The Victory of Capitalism over Communism
Major Contributions to Adult Education
Bridged the gap between separate concepts, insight, and research in Adult Education. Established the idea that it is important to pursue lifelong learning also problem solving is paramount in learning because it applies to life’s problems as well as societies.
Incorporating education into the Industrial World as well as helped establish a definition of an Adult Mind. As an educator he believed it was essential to reach the general public with knowledge that would enable them to lead more productive and fulfilling lives lives. He believed that adult education held out great promise that mature citizens could effectively improve their minds and could significantly improve social conditions. He also believed in democratic traditions and values and strongly emphasized the need for citizens to step up to their responsibilities with regard to civil rights and community development.
Additional Resources
Articles
“Changing Demands on Evening School,” Michigan Education Journal, 23 (December 1945):195.
“The American College Course,” Educational Review, February 1904, 168-178.
Overstreet, Harry A, “Armed to the Brain,” Journal of Adult Education, 13, No. 3 (June 1941): 229-235.
“Education for the New Age,” Progressive Education, 6 (January 1929): 61-65.
“When the College Professor Looks at Life,” Journal of Adult Education, 1 (June 1929): 254-256.
“Capturing the Depression of the Mind,” Journal of Adult Education, 4 (January 1932): 1-4.
“Youth Incorporated for Education,” Journal of Adult Education, 6 (October 1934): 431-435.
Overstreet, Harry A. “Adults Must Go To School,” New York State Education, 28 (February 1941): 343-344.
“Mature Mind,” National Education Association Journal, 38 (December 1949): 649-650.
Presentations
Harry Overstreet describes how Socrates has influenced his thinking, leading to the beliefs that truth must be sought out (rather than accepted) and that knowledge about the world can never be exhausted, and forming the foundation for his tolerant acceptance of his fellow human beings.
Also in 60 and over, Educational Professions, Publishing and Writing Professions
Books
References
- ^ (18 August 1970). Prof. Harry A. Overstreet Dies; Author and Lecturer Was 94; Psychology Chairman at City College, 1911-36, Wrote for the Layman, The New York Times
- ^ (11 September 1985). Bonaro W. Overstreet, Author, Is Dead at 82, The New York Times
- ^ Shook, John R., ed. Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers, Volume 1, p. 1851 (2005)
- http://philosopedia.org/index.php/Harry_Overstreet
- https://wikis.uit.tufts.edu/confluence/display/MurrowCollection/O