Robert D. Bolgard ’57

3 Years Ago

Influential Professors in the 1950s

I was glad to see the article about Professor Hadley Cantril (Princeton Portrait, October issue). Although I majored in history, partly because of its all-star cast of professors (Black, Cantor, Craig, Harrison, Lee, Palmer, and Strayer come to mind), I also tried to take courses with prominent professors like Martin and Stohlman in art, Baker and Thorpe in English, Kaufman in philosophy, Mason in politics, Ramsey in religion, Tumin in sociology, Armstrong and Fine in classics, and others. It was thus an easy choice to enroll in Dr. Cantril’s course in “Social Psychology.” Although the Martian invasion broadcast was an interesting part of the course, I believe that Cantril’s greatest contribution was his magnum opus, The ‘Why’ of Man’s Experience. His teaching about human motivations has enabled me and countless others to understand and appreciate greatly our fellow beings. 

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