Citizenship United States Fields Psychology | Name Doris Allen Role Psychologist | |
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Born Doris Frances Twitchell
October 8, 1901
Old Town, Maine ( 1901-10-08 ) Institutions University of Maine,
Longview State Hospital (Cincinnati, Ohio), University of Cincinnati Alma mater University of Maine (AB 1923, MA 1926)
University of Michigan (PhD) Thesis An Investigation of Higher Thought Processes (1930) Died March 7, 2002, Virginia, United States Education University of Maine, University of Michigan Residence United States of America, Germany Known for Psychodrama, CISV International | ||
Doris Twitchell Allen (1901–2002) was a noted psychologist and the founder of Children's International Summer Villages (now CISV International). She specialized in development and psychodrama.
After receiving degrees in Chemistry (AB in 1923) and Biology (MA in 1926) at the University of Maine, where she was a member of the national honorary society Phi Kappa Phi, she earned a PhD in Psychology in 1930 at the University of Michigan, and completed her post-graduate study at the Psychological Institute, University of Berlin, in 1932.
Her career as a psychologist began as Director of the Field Laboratory at the Child Education Foundation in New York City (1932–1935).
From 1962 until her retirement, she was Professor of Psychology at the University of Cincinnati and Professor of Psychology (Psychodrama) at the University of Maine.
She developed several valued tools in the fields of psychology and education. Among them the Social Learning in the Schools Through Psychodrama project and the Twitchell-Allen Three-dimensional Personality Test for use in CISV research and clinical practice to portray personality dynamics, irrespective of age or culture.
In addition to founding CISV in 1951, Doris Allen served as International President (1951–1956), Trustee (1956–1965), Research Chairman (1951–1967), and Honorary Counsellor (1965–2002), and simultaneously served as President (1956–1965), Research Chair / Co-Chair (1956–1969) and Life Trustee (1970–2002) of CISV USA. From its inception in 1988, Doris Allen had also served as Trustee / Honorary Trustee of the CISV International Peace Fund Trust.
In 1979, Doris was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with CISV.
The Doris Twitchell Allen Village (DTAV) student accommodation blocks at the University of Maine were named after her.
She was married to Erastus S. Allen, a lawyer for Procter & Gamble.