Dr. Lillian Gilbreth
| Lillian Moller Gilbreth | |
|---|---|
Gilbreth in 1921
|
|
| Born |
Lillie Evelyn Moller May 24, 1878 Oakland, California |
| Died | January 2, 1972 (aged 93) Phoenix, Arizona |
| Residence | United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater |
University of California Brown University |
| Occupation |
Ergonomics expert Management consultant Professor |
| Known for | Seminal contributions to human factors engineering and ergonomics Therblig |
| Spouse(s) | Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Sr. |
| Children |
Ernestine Gilbreth Carey Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. Anne M. Gilbreth Mary Elizabeth Gilbreth Martha B. Gilbreth William Gilbreth Lillian M. Gilbreth, Jr. Frederick M. Gilbreth Daniel B. Gilbreth John M. Gilbreth Robert M. Gilbreth Jane M. Gilbreth |
| Awards |
National Academy of Engineering (elected 1965) Hoover Medal (1966) |
Lillian Evelyn Moller Gilbreth (May 24, 1878 – January 2, 1972) was an American psychologist and industrial engineer. She was described in the 1940s as “a genius in the art of living.” One of the first working female engineers holding a Ph.D., she is held to be the first true industrial/organizational psychologist. She and her husband Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Sr. were efficiency experts who contributed to the study of industrial engineering in fields such as motion study and human factors. The books Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes (written by their children Ernestine and Frank Jr.) tell the story of their family life with their twelve children, and describe how they applied their interest in time and motion study to the organization and daily activities of such a large family. Both books were later made into feature films.
Gilbreth was born in Oakland, California on May 24, 1878. She was the second of eleven children of William Moller, a builder's supply merchant, and Annie Delger. Both parents were of German descent. She was educated at home until she was nine years old, when her formal schooling began at a public elementary school, where she was required to start from the first grade (although she was rapidly promoted through the grades). She attended Oakland High School, where she was elected vice president of her senior class; she graduated with exemplary grades in May 1896.
Gilbreth started college at the University of California, Berkeley shortly after, commuting by streetcar from her parents' Oakland home. She graduated from the University of California in 1900 with a bachelor's degree in English literature and was the first female commencement speaker at the university. She originally pursued her master's degree at Columbia University, where she was exposed to the subject of psychology through courses under Edward Thorndike. When she arrived at Columbia, she had planned to study with Brander Matthews, a well-known writer and educator, but soon realized he did not allow women to study with him or attend his lectures. She turned to Thorndike and psychology because he did accept female students. However, she became ill and returned home, finishing her master's degree in literature at the University of California in 1902. Her thesis was on Ben Jonson's play Bartholomew Fair.
...
Wikipedia