Elizabeth Holloway Marston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth Holloway Marston
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| Born |
Sarah Elizabeth Holloway
February 20, 1893 |
| Died | March 27, 1993 (aged 100) Bethel, Connecticut, U.S.
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| Other names | Sadie Holloway |
| Education | Mount Holyoke College (BA) Boston University (LLB) Harvard University (MA) |
| Occupation | Editor, author, lecturer |
| Known for | Creation of Wonder Woman Systolic blood-pressure test |
| Spouse(s) | William Moulton Marston |
| Partner(s) | Olive Byrne |
Elizabeth Holloway Marston (born February 20, 1893 – died March 27, 1993) was an American lawyer and psychologist. She is known for helping to create the first lie detector test. This test measured changes in blood pressure to see if someone was telling the truth.
She is also famous for inspiring the comic book character Wonder Woman. Her husband, William Moulton Marston, created Wonder Woman.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Elizabeth Holloway Marston was born Sarah Elizabeth Holloway on the Isle of Man. This island is located between Britain and Ireland. Her family later moved to the United States, and she grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. Her nickname was "Sadie."
Elizabeth was a very smart student. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in psychology from Mount Holyoke College in 1915. Later, in 1918, she received a law degree (LLB) from the Boston University School of Law. She was one of only three women to graduate from the law school that year.
Career and Family Life
Elizabeth married William Moulton Marston in 1915. She started her family later in life, having her first child at age 35. Even with a family, she had a long and successful career.
She worked as an editor for famous publications like Encyclopædia Britannica and McCall's. She also taught law, ethics, and psychology at different universities. Elizabeth even helped write a textbook called Integrative Psychology with her husband. In 1933, she became an assistant to a top executive at Metropolitan Life Insurance.
Elizabeth and William had two children, Pete and Olive Ann. Later, Olive Byrne, a friend of the family, also lived with them. Olive had two more children with William, named Byrne and Donn. The Marstons legally adopted Olive's sons. Olive remained a part of their family, even after William passed away in 1947.
While Olive stayed home to care for the children, Elizabeth continued to work. She worked at MetLife until she was 65 years old. She made sure all four children went to college. She even helped Byrne go to medical school and Donn go to law school. Elizabeth and Olive continued to live together until Olive's death in 1990.
Developing the Lie Detector Test
Elizabeth Marston played an important role in creating the first lie detector test. While her husband William was studying psychology at Harvard, Elizabeth was also studying for her master's degree at Radcliffe College. Radcliffe was a college for women connected to Harvard.
They worked together on William's research. This research looked at how blood pressure changes when someone is not telling the truth. This work led to the development of the systolic blood-pressure test. This test was a very early version of the polygraph test, which is sometimes called a lie detector.
In 1921, Elizabeth received her Master of Arts (MA) degree from Radcliffe. Even though she wasn't always officially named as a co-worker in William's early papers, many people recognize her important contributions to this research.
Inspiring Wonder Woman
Elizabeth Holloway Marston is widely recognized as a major inspiration for the famous superhero, Wonder Woman. In 1992, The New York Times wrote about her role in the character's creation.
The story goes that William Marston wanted to create a new superhero. He wanted a character who would promote "The Power of Love" instead of just fighting. Elizabeth suggested that this superhero should be a woman. She believed a female hero could show strength and kindness.
Wonder Woman was created as a strong, crusading career woman. She was disguised as Diana Prince in the comics. Elizabeth's own life as a smart, independent woman who balanced career and family certainly influenced the character. Many believe that both Elizabeth and Olive Byrne inspired different parts of Wonder Woman.
Later Life and Legacy
Elizabeth Holloway Marston lived a long and impactful life. She passed away on March 27, 1993, just one month after her 100th birthday.
Her life story, including her work and her unique family, was shown in the 2017 movie Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. British actress Rebecca Hall played Elizabeth in the film.
In her memory, an Asteroid was named after her: 101813 Elizabethmarston. Another asteroid, 102234 Olivebyrne, was named after Olive Byrne at the same time.
Works
- Integrative Psychology: A Study of Unit Response by William Moulton Marston, C. Daly King, and Elizabeth Holloway Marston, 1931.
- "Chalk Marks on the Gate", by Elizabeth Holloway; illus. Adolf Treidler; Woman's Home Companion, 1924, January; pp 14–15, 96.
- "Gift-Horse", by Elizabeth Holloway; illus. George Wright; Woman's Home Companion, 1922, July; pp 22–23, 92–93.
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