Prominent scientist and educator Robert J. Havighurst was born in Wisconsin in 1900 and educated at Ohio Wesleyan and Ohio State University, where he received his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1924. Subsequently he held positions at Harvard and Miami University. In 1928 he accepted an appointment to teach physics at the University of Wisconsin Experimental College. Although his association as a teacher with the Meiklejohn Experimental College lasted only four years, it appears to have transformed his early interest in the physical sciences into a broader concern with education. Since that time Havighurst has written numerous books and articles concerning science education, aging, and international studies of education. In addition, he has served as director of numerous educational and gerontological associations.
In 1934 he became associated with the Rockefeller Foundation. In 1941 he became a professor of education and human development at the University of Chicago, remaining there until his retirement in 1965. Other appointments included work with UNESCO and two Fulbright professorships.
