Logan Wright

Logan Wright Jr. (December 6, 1933 – December 18, 1999) was an American pediatric psychologist and was the first Native American president of the American Psychological Association (APA). His Native American heritage originated from the Osage Nation. He coined the term pediatric psychology, co-founded the Society of Pediatric Psychology (SPP) and made numerous advances within the field. He was involved in the founding of the American Psychological Society (APS) in the mid-1980s when many psychological scientists split off from the APA.

Biography

Early life Wright was born in Wellington, Kansas. He earned all-state track honors at Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University, where he had received a track scholarship and served as track team captain as a senior. He completed a graduate degree in religious education from Golden Gate Seminary and began teaching at Bethel College in Kentucky. Wright returned to Vanderbilt University and earned a PhD in psychology in 1964. Wright worked with George Albee, president of the APA Section on Clinical Child Psychology, to evaluate the impact of having psychologists in the pediatric setting in 1967. He led an APA committee that identified 250 psychologists interested in pediatric work. This led to the formation of the SPP in 1968.

In addition to coining the term pediatric psychology, Wright wrote several conceptual papers related to the field. He was one of the first to demonstrate that psychological interventions could enhance pediatric medical care. He left his academic position in 1979 to build 66 Sonic Drive-In fast food franchises across the United States.

In 1984, Wright returned to academia as a psychology professor at the University of Oklahoma. Wright was named professor emeritus at Oklahoma in 1995. He died of a heart attack on his ranch in Norman, Oklahoma in 1999. After his death, the SPP's Distinguished Research Contribution in Pediatric Psychology Award was renamed the Logan Wright Distinguished Research Award.