Walter B. Pitkin

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Wikipedia

Walter B. Pitkin
Born(1878-02-06)February 6, 1878
Ypsilanti, Michigan, U.S.
DiedJanuary 25, 1953(1953-01-25) (aged 74)
Palo Alto, California, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Michigan
OccupationsAuthor, professor
Spouse(s)Mary Gray
Katherine B. Johnson

Walter Boughton Pitkin (February 6, 1878 – January 25, 1953) was an American author and university professor. He taught at Columbia University for 38 years, and he authored more than 30 books, including the 1932 best-selling book, Life Begins at Forty.

Biography

Pitkin was born on February 6, 1878, in Ypsilanti, Michigan.[1][2] He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1900, and he attended the Hartford Seminary before studying in Europe at the Sorbonne University, Munich University and Berlin University.[1][2]

Pitkin and his wife Mary Gray had five sons: Richard G., John G., David B., Robert B., and Walter. The elder Pitkin later married Katherine B. Johnson. They resided in Los Altos, California.[1] Pitkin died on January 25, 1953, in Palo Alto, California, at age 74.[1][2]

Career

Pitkin was a lecturer in philosophy and psychology at Columbia University (1905–09), and professor in the Columbia University School of Journalism (1912–43).[3]

Pitkin authored more than 30 books over the course of his career,[2] including Life Begins at Forty (New York, Whittlesey house, McGraw-Hill, 1932) and The Psychology of Happiness. His A Short Introduction to the History of Human Stupidity was translated into fifteen languages. Pitkin was a member of the New Realism school in philosophy, writing on its relation to biology.

Works

  • Must We Fight Japan? (1921)[4]
  • How To Write Stories (1923)
  • The Art Of Rapid Reading (1929)
  • The Psychology Of Happiness (1929)
  • A Short Introduction To The History Of Human Stupidity (1932)
  • Life Begins At Forty (1932)
  • More Power To You! (1933)
  • Let's Get What We Want! (1935)
  • Capitalism Carries On (1935)
  • Making Good Before Forty (1939)
  • On My Own (1944)
  • The Best Years: How to Enjoy Retirement (1946)

Source: [5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Walter B. Pitkin Is Dead; Write 'Life Begins at 40'". Lansing State Journal. January 27, 1953. p. 24. Retrieved February 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Walter Pitkin, Famed Writer, Dies in Palo Alto". Oakland Tribune. January 26, 1953. p. 4. Retrieved February 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Entries in the Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers". Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  4. ↑ Latourette, Kenneth Scott (1921). "Review of Must We Fight Japan?". The Journal of International Relations. 12 (1): 125–128. doi:10.2307/29738462. ISSN 0148-8937.
  5. ↑ "Author - Walter Boughton Pitkin". Author and Book Info.