Koch, Sigmund.

Sigmund Koch was born April 18, 1917 in New York City. He received his B.A. in philosophy from New York University in 1938, his M.A. from the State University of Iowa in 1939, and his Ph.D. from Duke University in 1942.

Koch taught psychology at Duke University from 1942 to 1964. He served as the director of the Ford Foundation's Program in the Humanities and the Arts from 1964-1967. He returned to academia as a professor at the University of Texas at Austin (1967-1971), and finished his career at Boston University, first as Vice President for Academic Affairs (1971-1973) and later as a professor of psychology and philosophy (1973-1996).

In 1952, Koch was asked by the American Psychological Association to direct and edit an analysis of psychology at mid-century. The project was published as a six-volume set, Psychology: A Study of a Science (1959-1963). Koch planned to write a concluding volume seven but never did. Koch wrote a number of articles and reviews throughout his career and co-edited, with David Leary, the book, A Century of Psychology as a Science (1985).

Turning from the mainstream psychology theories of the mid-twentieth century, Koch argued a more humanistic approach to psychology, rather than behaviorist. Later in his career, he researched psychology as related to the humanities, specifically artists and creativity.

Koch died August 10, 1996 in Massachusetts.

From the guide to the Sigmund Koch papers, 1938-1996, (Center for the History of Psychology)