fei75766_ch19_610-639.indd 612  02/06/20 01:53 PM
Part VI    Learning-Cognitive Theories612
Biography of George Kelly
Ofallthepersonality theorists discussed inthisbook, George Kelly hadthemost 
unusual variegated experiences—mostly involving education, aseither astudent ora
teacher. 
George Alexander Kelly wasbornApril 28,1905, onafarmnearPerth, Kansas, 
atiny,almost nonexistent town 35miles south ofWichita. George wastheonlychild 
ofElfleda M.Kelly, aformer schoolteacher, andTheodore V.Kelly, anordained 
Presbyterian minister. BythetimeKelly wasborn, hisfather hadgiven uptheminis -
tryinfavor ofbecoming aKansas farmer. Both parents werewelleducated, andboth
helped intheformal education oftheirson,afortunate circumstance because Kelly’s 
schooling wasrather erratic.
When Kelly was4years old,thefamily moved toeastern Colorado, where his
father staked aclaim onsome ofthelastfreelandinthatpartofthecountry. While in
Colorado, Kelly attended school onlyirregularly, seldom formore thanafewweeks 
atatime(Thompson, 1968).
Lack ofwater drove thefamily backtoKansas, where Kelly attended fourdifferent 
highschools in4years. Atfirst,hecommuted tohighschool, butatage13,hewassent
away toschool inWichita. From thattimeon,hemostly livedaway fromhome. After 
graduation, hespent 3years atFriends University inWichita and1yearatParkCollege 
inParkville, Missouri. Bothschools hadreligious affiliations, which mayexplain why
many ofKelly’s laterwritings aresprinkled withbiblical references.
Kelly wasamanofmany anddiverse interests. Hisundergraduate degree was
inphysics andmathematics, buthewasalsoamember ofthecollege debate team 
and,assuch, became intensely concerned withsocial problems. Thisinterest ledhim
totheUniversity ofKansas, where hereceived amaster’s degree withamajor inedu-
cational sociology andaminor inlabor relations andsociology.
During thenextfewyears, Kelly moved several times andheldavariety ofposi-
tions. First, hewent toMinneapolis, where hetaught soapbox oratory ataspecial 
college forlabor organizers, conducted classes inspeech fortheAmerican Bankers 
Association, andtaught government toanAmericanization classforprospective citi-
zens(Kelly, 1969a). Then in1928, hemoved toSheldon, Iowa, where hetaught ata
junior college andcoached drama. While there, hemethisfuture wife,Gladys Thomp -
son,anEnglish teacher atthesame school. After ayearandahalf,hemoved backto
Minnesota, where hetaught asummer session attheUniversity ofMinnesota. Next, he
returned toWichita towork forafewmonths asanaeronautical engineer. From there, 
hewent totheUniversity ofEdinburgh inScotland asanexchange student, receiving 
anadvanced professional degree ineducation.
Atthispoint inhislife,Kelly “haddabbled academically ineducation, sociology, 
economics, labor relations, biometrics, speech pathology, andanthropology, andhad
majored inpsychology foragrand totalofninemonths” (Kelly, 1969a, p.48).After 
returning fromEdinburgh, however, hebegan inearnest topursue acareer inpsychol -
ogy.Heenrolled attheState University ofIowa and,in1931, completed aPhDwitha
dissertation oncommon factors inspeech andreading disabilities.
Once again, Kelly returned toKansas, beginning hisacademic career in1931 at
FortHays State College inHays, Kansas, byteaching physiological psychology. With 
thedustbowl andtheGreat Depression, however, hesoon became convinced thatheFinal PDF to printer