 A Philatelic Tribute to E. Paul Torrance
Collection DescriptionHistorical NoteEllis Paul Torrance was born on October 8, 1915 and died on July 12, 2003. He was a renown American psychologist and educator. World War II interrupted Torrance's teaching career, but he continud his work in a position with the U.S. Army as a counselor for disabled veterans. Torrance taught from 1957 to 1984 at the University of Minnesota and the University of Georgia. He became a professor at UGA in Eduational Psychology in 1966 and retired fully in 1984, the same year that UGA established the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development. He had been the head of the Educational Psychology Dept. at the University of Georgia from 1966 to 1978. E. Paul Torrance was incredibly well-written and his work was widely published: he had a total of 1,871 publications, including 88 books, 408 journal articles, and 538 reports, manuals, and tests, making him one of the most published faculty members in UGA's history. Notably, E. Paul Torrance developed the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, which test creativity using simple trials based on fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. These have often been used in admission into gifted programs, especially in Georgia. The tests are particularly well-regarded because they appear relatively free of racial or socioeconomic bias, and teachers often find them easy to administer and score. Torrance also created the Future Problem Solving Program, which has now expanded internationally. According to their website, the organization "stimulates critical and creative thinking skills, encourages students to develop a vision for the future, and prepares students for leadership roles." Scope and ContentThe collection consists of six scrapbooks filled with postal covers that Dr. Torrance received. The stamps were the stamps on letters he received from around the world. They contain a table of contents and introductory information by Dr. Garnet W. Millar, who organized the scrapbooks. Administrative InformationPreferred CitationA Philatelic Tribute to E. Paul Torrance, ms2886, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject Terms | ||||||||||||||||||