Skinner, B. F. (Burrhus Frederic), 1904-

Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904-1990) was a strict behaviorist who championed the theory of operant conditioning. He made an indelible mark in the field of psychology with both his ideas and his audacious advocacy of them. Skinner earned his Harvard Ph.D. in 1931, and after teaching at the University of Minnesota and the University of Indiana, he returned to Harvard as a professor in 1948; he stayed at Harvard for the remainder of his career.

From the guide to the Papers of Burrhus Frederic Skinner, 1928-1979, (Harvard University Archives)