Eleanor Gamble

Eleanor Acheson McCulloch Gamble (March 2, 1868 – August 30, 1933) was an influential American psychologist from the late 19th century through the early 20th century. Gamble published most of her work on audition and memory influenced by Georg Elias Müller, Edward B. Titchener, Mary Whiton Calkins, and Ernst Heinrich Weber. Despite her chronic eye conditions she was successful in editing volumes of textbooks, her own papers, and directing many master's degree students. She earned her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College in 1889. She went on to obtain her doctorate from Cornell University in 1898. She held several teaching positions over the course of her career and was a member of several influential organizations including the American Psychological Association (APA). Gamble was a distinguished and well-liked professor at Wellesley College for more than two decades, and by 1930 she was the head of the Department of Philosophy and Psychology following the death of Mary Whiton Calkins. At the time of her death she was professor of psychology and director of the psychological laboratory at Wellesley College. Gamble was able to become a part of The Experimentalists since she received her PhD degree at Cornell University, because this university was one of the few universities accepting women during this time.

Medical problems Gamble was considered physical handicapped from birth when they discovered she had amblyopia in her left eye. Later in her life, she began to develop glaucoma in her right eye after her first study abroad trip to Europe. Her vision continually worsened throughout her life despite several surgical operations. From this position, Gamble supervised psychological research until the 1931. After Calkins died in 1930, Gamble became the new head of the philosophy and psychology department at Wellesley. The perception of sound direction as a conscious process (1902) Attention and thoracic breathing (1905) Minor studies from the psychological laboratory of Wellesley College: Intensity as a criterion in estimating the distance of sounds (1909) A defense of psychology as science of selves (1915) A study in spatial associations in learning and in recall (1916)

Legacy and memorials Gamble's research on the olfactory senses and on memory gave way to new research, including research done by her own advisor, Titchener. At the time of her death, she was doing new research on word memory and chance-reactions to words. She helped to edit and publish multiple books, texts, articles, and theses. She was a beloved teacher and was even elected as an honorary member of the class of 1926 at Wellesley College. Her funeral was held at Wellesley College, and one of her colleagues, T. Proctor, gave a eulogy. According to Proctor, Eleanor was a very talented teacher who was very devoted to her research and students.