Hooker, Evelyn Caldwell

Evelyn Gentry was born on Sept. 2, 1907 in North Platte, NE, and grew up near Sterling, CO; awarded bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology from Univ. of CO; Ph. D in psychology, Johns Hopkins Univ.; joined psychology faculty at UCLA University Extension in 1939; after her marriage to Donn Caldwell, she married UCLA English professor Edward Niles Hooker in 1951; in 1954 she received a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) for a comparative study of the pathology of homosexual and heterosexual males; her 1957 paper, "The adjustment of the male overt homosexual," reported little statistical difference; chaired NIMH Task Force on Homosexuality in 1967, which issued what came to be called the "Hooker report" in 1969; retired from UCLA in 1970, and began private practice as a psychotherapist; awarded the Distinguished Contributions to Psychology career achievement award from the American Psychological Assn. in 1992; in the same year, she chaired the establishment of the Wayne Placek Fund, an endowment administered by the American Psychological Foundation to support research in homosexuality; she died on Nov. 18, 1996 in Santa Monica, CA.

From the description of Papers, 1910-1997. (University of California, Los Angeles). WorldCat record id: 41611752

Biography

Evelyn Gentry was born on September 2, 1907 in North Platte, New England, and grew up near Sterling, Colorado; awarded bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology from University of Colorado; Ph.D in psychology, Johns Hopkins University; joined psychology faculty at UCLA University Extension in 1939; after her marriage to Donn Caldwell, she married UCLA English professor Edward Niles Hooker in 1951; in 1954 she received a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) for a comparative study of the pathology of homosexual and heterosexual males; her 1957 paper, The Adjustment of the Male Overt Homosexual, reported little statistical difference; chaired NIMH Task Force on Homosexuality in 1967, which issued what came to be called the Hooker Report in 1969; retired from UCLA in 1970, and began private practice as a psychotherapist; awarded the Distinguished Contributions to Psychology career achievement award from the American Psychological Association in 1992; in the same year, she chaired the establishment of the Wayne Placek Fund, an endowment administered by the American Psychological Foundation to support research in homosexuality; she died on November 18, 1996 in Santa Monica, California.

Expanded Biographical Narrative

Evelyn Hooker was born Evelyn Gentry in North Platte, Nebraska on 2 September 1907 and grew up near Sterling, Colorado. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology from the University of Colorado and a Ph.D. in psychology at The Johns Hopkins University. She joined the Psychology faculty of the University Extension at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1939. Following her marriage to Donn Cadwell, she was married to Edward Niles Hooker, an English literature professor at UCLA, from 1951 until his death in 1951.

In 1954, Hooker received a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to conduct a comparative study of the pathology of homosexual and heterosexual males. Her controversial 1957 paper, The Adjustment of the Male Overt Homosexual, reported little statistical difference in the test results of the two groups of subjects. By the late 1960s Hooker was recognized as an authority in the psychology of homosexual behavior. In 1967 she the NIMH Task Force on Homosexuality which in 1969 issued what came to be referred to as the Hooker Report.

Dr. Hooker retired from UCLA in 1970 and entered private practice as a psychotherapist. She received numerous awards and honors from professional societies, such as the Distinguished Contributions to Psychology career achievement award in 1992 from the American Psychological Association, as well as gay and lesbian organizations, including serving as grand marshal of the Christopher Street West Gay Pride Parade in 1986. In 1992 she chaired the establishment of the Wayne Placek Fund, an endowment administered by the American Psychological Foundation to support research in homosexuality. The 1993 film, Changing Our Minds: The Story of Dr. Evelyn Hooker, received a nomination as Best Documentary Feature by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Evelyn Hooker died on November 18, 1996 at her home in Santa Monica, California.

From the guide to the Evelyn Caldwell Hooker Papers, 1910-1997, (University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.)