E. Paul Torrance artifacts and personal papers
Descriptive Summary | |
| Repository: | Hargrett Manuscripts |
| Creator: | Torrance, E. Paul, (Ellis Paul), 1915- |
| Title: | E. Paul Torrance artifacts and personal papers |
| Dates: | 1960s-1990s |
| Quantity: | 12.0 Linear feet (5 document boxes, 5 oversized boxes, 4 cartons) |
| Abstract: | This collection contains a wide variety of items from E. Paul Torrance's personal and professional lives. These include photographs from the 1960s to the 1990s, many mounted on cardboard, suitable for wall hanging ranging from the very personal (pet images) to professional (images of children learning in foreign countries); presents from students and colleagues Japan when he visited in the late 1970s; letters to Torrance and his wife from colleagues, students, and friends from throughout his career; paintings and artwork by professional artists and children; video of E. Paul Torrance, his classes, and his educational methodology; and awards, commendations, certificates, and degrees from throughout E. Paul Torrance's life. |
| Coll. Number: | ms3723.TEMP |
Biographical/Historical Note
Ellis Paul Torrance was born on October 8, 1915 and died on July 12, 2003. He was a renown American psychologist and educator. World War II interrupted Torrance's teaching career, but he continued his work in a position with the U.S. Army as a counselor for disabled veterans. Torrance taught from 1957 to 1984 at the University of Minnesota and the University of Georgia. He became a professor at UGA in Eduational Psychology in 1966 and retired fully in 1984, the same year that UGA established the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development. He had been the head of the Educational Psychology Department at the University of Georgia from 1966 to 1978. E. Paul Torrance was incredibly well-written and his work was widely published: he had a total of 1,871 publications, including 88 books, 408 journal articles, and 538 reports, manuals, and tests, making him one of the most published faculty members in UGA’s history.
Notably, E. Paul Torrance developed the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, which test creativity using simple trials based on fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. These have often been used in admission into gifted programs, especially in Georgia. The tests are particularly well-regarded because they appear relatively free of racial or socioeconomic bias, and teachers often find them easy to administer and score.
Torrance also created the Future Problem Solving Program, which has now expanded internationally. According to their website, the organization "stimulates critical and creative thinking skills, encourages students to develop a vision for the future, and prepares students for leadership roles."
Arrangement
This collection is unarranged. A container list is provided to facilitate access.
Index Terms
Administrative Information
E. Paul Torrance artifacts and personal papers, MS 3723. Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the University of Georgia Libraries.