Virginia Staudt Sexton

Virginia Mary Staudt (Sexton) (August 30, 1916–May 24, 1997) was an American psychologist who was the author of numerous publications in the history of American and international psychology.

Early life and education Virginia Mary Staudt was born in New York City, as the youngest of four children to Philip Henry Staudt, a special patrol officer for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, and Kathryn Philippa (Burkard) Staudt, who was a designer and sample maker of infant’s and children’s wear prior to marrying Philip. Staudt’s parents highly valued academic achievements when it came to raising their children.

In 1933, Staudt entered Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY) after graduating from Cathedral High School in New York City. Staudt graduated from CUNY in 1936 with a B.A. cum laude in the classics and was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Eta Sigma Phi, the classics’ honor society. Staudt received her postdoctoral training in clinical psychology at New York State Psychiatric Institute and another one in neuroanatomy at Columbia University.

On January 21, 1961, she married Richard J. Sexton, Ph.D., an English professor at Fordham University. With this marriage Sexton became a stepmother to three girls and one boy ranging from the ages of eight to twenty-one. The youngest of her stepchildren Richard Sexton holds a Ph.D. in psychology and the second youngest Mary Sexton is a doctoral candidate in educational administration. While at Notre Dame College she opened a psychology lab, created a psychology major, and became associate professor and chair of the psychology department. While working at Fordham she conducted research on shock therapy and psychosurgery for schizophrenic patients. Sexton had published over one hundred articles, several scholarly monographs, and seven books.