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Correctional Psychology Pioneer: F. Lovell Bixby (1901–1975)

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The History and Future of Correctional Psychology

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Abstract

Despite limited correctional psychology training programs and established career trajectories, the application and dissemination of psychological principles in the early twentieth century did not escape correctional settings. This early work was often undertaken and sustained through a handful of pioneering individual efforts like that of Dr. F. Lovell Bixby, a Clark University alum who later trained as an experimentalist under Dr. Titchner at Cornell. Bixby made a pivotal decision early into his career as a psychologist to join the New Jersey prison system, which subsequently placed him at the forefront of the nascent development of correctional administration and correctional psychology. He then spent the remainder of his career and life integrating psychological principles with the practical reality of correctional reform at literally all levels of America’s correctional system and paved a unique career trajectory that continues to reflect modern correctional psychology.

A photo of F Lovell Bixby.

“F. Lovell Bixby, Psychology, Rice Institute.” (1927) Rice University: https://hdl.handle.net/1911/88543

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Based on his published work, presentations, discussions, and titles used throughout his career, Bixby seemed to prefer being addressed by his middle name Lovell, as it was almost always emphasized instead of Frederick in writing.

  2. 2.

    Material for this paragraph was sourced from scanned records of the census for those years and additional related public listings such as the white pages.

  3. 3.

    Clark University was initially a graduate-only school that did not serve undergraduates until Clark College was established for that purpose in 1902 at the explicit insistence of Jonas G. Clark upon his death. G. Stanley Hall, the long-serving first President of Clark University (1888–1920), was opposed to the establishment of an undergraduate program throughout his tenure (Charles, 2012) so Clark College and Clark University remained separate entities until Hall’s departure in 1920 when they were merged together under the banner of Clark University to become a full-service institution.

  4. 4.

    The turmoil arising from the resignations/retirements of G. Stanley Hall and Edmund C. Stanford amidst the integration of Clark College and Clark University together (Charles, 2012) in Bixby’s final years as an undergraduate may have dissuaded Bixby from remaining there, plus Dr. Boring likewise left the same year that Bixby did. Dr. Boring was a close former student, mentee, and colleague of Titchner’s (Boring, 1952; Stevens, 1968), which may have further influenced Bixby towards working with Titchner instead of staying at Clark University during a period of organizational growing pains.

  5. 5.

    This is inferred from available information. Bixby’s obituary mentions his return from Rice and becoming Assistant Director, but based on a census entry for 1930 (completed in 1929) where he noted “resident” as well as documents about the reorganization in New Jersey, he is estimated to have begun as the resident psychologist in 1931.

  6. 6.

    The proceedings from the annual conference no longer published detailed attendance records starting in the mid 1940s, likely due to increased number of attendees and limited printing space.

  7. 7.

    Material in this paragraph was compiled and summarized from an extensive search of available committee information published in each annual proceedings.

  8. 8.

    A marriage certificate for 1967 confirms this date; however, retirement from New Jersey public service was inferred from obituary, listings of his positions in contributors section of journals/magazine, and lack of any official mention of being associated with New Jersey following that year.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mental Health Research and Development, VA New Jersey Healthcare System, Lyons, NJ, USA

    Rokas Perskaudas

  2. War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, VA New Jersey Healthcare System, East Orange, NJ, USA

    Rokas Perskaudas

  3. ICF, Columbia, MD, USA

    Philip R. Magaletta

Authors
  1. Rokas Perskaudas
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  2. Philip R. Magaletta
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bureau of Prisons (retired); ICF, Columbia, MD, USA

    Philip R. Magaletta

  2. Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS, Canada

    Marguerite Ternes

  3. Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS, Canada

    Marc Patry

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Perskaudas, R., Magaletta, P.R. (2023). Correctional Psychology Pioneer: F. Lovell Bixby (1901–1975). In: Magaletta, P.R., Ternes, M., Patry, M. (eds) The History and Future of Correctional Psychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37480-7_3

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