John Dewey philosopher than a bona fide psychologist, the authors noted that Dewey was a founding member of the A.P.A., served as the A.P.A.'s eighth president in 1899, and was the author of an 1896 article on the reflex arc which is now considered a basis of American functional psychology. Dewey also expressed interest in work in the psychology of visual perception performed by Dartmouth research professor Adelbert Ames Jr. He had great trouble with listening, however, because it is known Dewey could not distinguish musical pitches—in other words was tone deaf. Dewey sometimes referred to his philosophy as instrumentalism rather than
John J. Dewey John J. Dewey John Jay "J.J." Dewey (September 9, 1822 – April 1, 1891) was an American physician and Minnesota territorial legislator. Dewey was born in Butternuts, New York. He was educated at Hamilton Academy and Albany Medical College in New York state. In 1847, he moved West to the newly settled areas Wisconsin and the young settlement of Saint Paul, in what later became the Territory and State of Minnesota. He practiced medicine there and opened the first drug store in Saint Paul settlement. In 1849, Dewey served in the Minnesota Territorial Legislature, House of Representatives representing Saint Paul.