Sutton-Smith, Brian.

Brian Sutton-Smith, native of New Zealand, holds a Ph. D. in education and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania as an adjunct professor in the Folklore Department. He has written books on child psychology and play, including folk games and storytelling of children in both the United States and New Zealand.

Brian Sutton-Smith was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1924 and received his Ph.D. in 1954 from the University of New Zealand. He traveled to the United States on a grant from the Fulbright Program, embarking on an academic career with a focus on children's and adult games; children's play, drama, films, and narratives; and children's gender issues and sibling position. He was director of programs in developmental psychology and human development, first at Bowling Green University in Ohio; then at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York; and finally at the University of Pennsylvania. As a founder of the Children's Folklore Society, he received a lifetime achievement award from the American Folklore Society. For his research on toys he received awards from the BRIO® and Lego® toy companies, and from The International Toy Research Association, of which he was also a founder. He received a lifetime achievement award for his work from The Association for the Study of Play in 2007. He has published more than 300 scholarly articles and has authored, co-authored, or edited approximately 50 books.