John Curtis Gowan facts for kids
John Curtis Gowan (May 21, 1912 – December 2, 1986) was a psychologist who studied how children develop their creative skills. He especially focused on children who are very smart or "gifted." He often worked with another expert named E. Paul Torrance.
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The Life of John Gowan
John Curtis Gowan was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 21, 1912. He finished high school at Thayer Academy in 1929. He was only 17 when he started at Harvard University. After four years, he earned his first college degree.
Early Career and Education
Next, John Gowan earned a master's degree in mathematics. He then moved to Culver, Indiana. From 1941 to 1952, he worked as a counselor and math teacher at Culver Military Academy. Later, he earned his highest degree, a doctorate, from UCLA.
In 1953, he became one of the first teachers at California State University at Northridge. He taught there as a professor of Educational Psychology until 1975. When he retired, he was given the title of "emeritus professor." This means he kept his title after retirement because of his important work.
Helping Gifted Children
Dr. Gowan became very interested in gifted children after 1957. That year, Russia launched Sputnik, the first satellite, into space. This made many people think about how to help smart students.
In 1958, he started the National Association for Gifted Children. He was the group's executive director and president from 1975 to 1979. Over the years, he wrote more than 100 articles and 14 books. These books were about gifted children, how to evaluate teachers, child development, and creativity.
Teaching and Research
While at Northridge, Dr. Gowan created a program to train school counselors. In 1973, he was nominated as an outstanding professor. He also worked as a researcher and visiting professor at many schools around the world. These included the University of Singapore and the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. He also taught at the University of Hawaii and Connecticut State College.
He was a respected member of the American Psychological Association. He also worked with the Creative Education Foundation.
Ideas on Creativity and Development
Besides his work with gifted children, Dr. Gowan was also interested in psychic phenomena. This is the study of things that seem to be beyond normal understanding. He explored how these ideas might connect to human creativity. His interest was sparked by the writings of Aldous Huxley and Carl Jung.
Based on his studies, Dr. Gowan developed a model for how the mind grows. This model built on the ideas of Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson. But it also included adult development beyond typical success in a career or family. It looked at how people might reach extraordinary levels of development and even mystical states of consciousness.
He described these different states in his book Trance, Art, & Creativity (1975). He also created a test called the Northridge Developmental Scale. This test measured "self-actualization," which is when a person reaches their full potential, as defined by Abraham Maslow.
Dr. Gowan passed away on December 2, 1986. He was survived by his twin children from his first marriage, John Gowan Jr. and Ann Gowan Curry. He also had seven grandchildren and his second wife, Jane Thompson Gowan.
Books by John Gowan
Dr. Gowan wrote or co-wrote over 100 articles and 14 books. Some of his books include:
- Creativity and Its Education Implication - 1967
- Education of the Ablest - 1971
- The Guidance of Exceptional Children - 1972
- The Development of the Creative Individual - 1972
- Trance, Art & Creativity - 1975
- Operations of Increasing Order - 1980
- Creativity: Its Educational Implications 2nd Ed. - 1981
- Enveloped in Glory - 1982
