Kenneth S. Wagoner
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Shrout Wagoner was a professor of psychology on the faculty of DePauw University
and a leading physiological skin scientist.
, the son of Otto Wagoner and his wife, Nannie Shrout Wagoner, he graduated from DePauw University
in 1932 and studied at the Marine Biological Laboratory
in Woods Hole, Massachusetts
. Then, he went on to do graduate work at Washington University in St. Louis
, where he completed his M.A.
in 1932 with a thesis on "The effect of warmth stimulation of one hand upon the temperature limen in the contralateral hand" and his Ph.D.
in 1938 with a dissertation on "The effect of warmth and cold stimulation of one hand upon the skin temperature of the contralateral hand."
He married Beverely Meal on 20 December 1946. The couple had two sons.
appointed Wagoner Instructor in Psychology and Research Associate in the Research Laboratory of Sensory Psychology. While at Tufts, he served as senior research psychologist for the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development
and was awarded a Certificate of Merit from that office for his research work during World War II
.
Wagoner joined the Depauw University
faculty in 1946, where he was director of Experimental Psychology from 1946 to 1977, rising to professor and chairman of the Psychology Department from 1952 until his retirement in 1977. He also served as visiting professor at Florida State University
in 1956 and was a consultant for research projects at Florida State University
under contract with the Surgeon General of the United States
from 1956 to 1963. DePauw University appointed him professor emeritus in 1977.
After retirement, Wagoner lived for a number of years at Portage Point, Michigan, where his family had spent many summers. While living there, he served as commodore of the Portage Lake Yacht Club
and was a member of the Onekama Township Planning Commission. Shortly before, his death, he moved to Rockville, Indiana
, where he died. He was buried at Moscow, Indiana
.
Wagoner is credited with discovering new ways that humans perceive hot and cold in the skin senses. "He isloated vasodilation and vasoconstriction as mechanisms that signal the brain that we are hot and cold." In addition, he discovered a key homeostasis feedback mechanism that helps humans maintain survival temperature.
He was a member of Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church in Greencastle, Indiana
. His professional memberships included the American Psychological Association
, the Psychonomic Society
, American Association for the Advancement of Science
, American Association of University Professors
as well as Sigma Xi
and Psi Chi
fraternities.
DePauw University has named a faculty chair for him, The Kenneth S. Wagoner Chair in Psychology.
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
and a leading physiological skin scientist.
Early life and education
Born in Waldron, IndianaWaldron, Indiana
Waldron is an unincorporated town in Liberty Township, Shelby County, Indiana.-Schools:Waldron Junior Senior High School and Waldron Elementary School are both located in the town of Waldron. They are a part of the Shelby Eastern School District ....
, the son of Otto Wagoner and his wife, Nannie Shrout Wagoner, he graduated from DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
in 1932 and studied at the Marine Biological Laboratory
Marine Biological Laboratory
The Marine Biological Laboratory is an international center for research and education in biology, biomedicine and ecology. Founded in 1888, the MBL is the oldest independent marine laboratory in the Americas, taking advantage of a coastal setting in the Cape Cod village of Woods Hole, Massachusetts...
in Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Woods Hole is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the extreme southwest corner of Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands...
. Then, he went on to do graduate work at Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
, where he completed his M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1932 with a thesis on "The effect of warmth stimulation of one hand upon the temperature limen in the contralateral hand" and his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1938 with a dissertation on "The effect of warmth and cold stimulation of one hand upon the skin temperature of the contralateral hand."
He married Beverely Meal on 20 December 1946. The couple had two sons.
Academic career
In 1943, Tufts UniversityTufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
appointed Wagoner Instructor in Psychology and Research Associate in the Research Laboratory of Sensory Psychology. While at Tufts, he served as senior research psychologist for the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development
Office of Scientific Research and Development
The Office of Scientific Research and Development was an agency of the United States federal government created to coordinate scientific research for military purposes during World War II. Arrangements were made for its creation during May 1941, and it was created formally by on June 28, 1941...
and was awarded a Certificate of Merit from that office for his research work during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Wagoner joined the Depauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
faculty in 1946, where he was director of Experimental Psychology from 1946 to 1977, rising to professor and chairman of the Psychology Department from 1952 until his retirement in 1977. He also served as visiting professor at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
in 1956 and was a consultant for research projects at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
under contract with the Surgeon General of the United States
Surgeon General of the United States
The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...
from 1956 to 1963. DePauw University appointed him professor emeritus in 1977.
After retirement, Wagoner lived for a number of years at Portage Point, Michigan, where his family had spent many summers. While living there, he served as commodore of the Portage Lake Yacht Club
Portage Lake (Michigan)
Portage Lake is a natural lake, located in Onekama Township in Manistee County, Michigan. The village of Onekama, Michigan is situated at the northeastern end of the lake.-History:...
and was a member of the Onekama Township Planning Commission. Shortly before, his death, he moved to Rockville, Indiana
Rockville, Indiana
Rockville is a town in Adams Township, Parke County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,607 at the 2010 census. The town is the county seat of Parke County. It is known as "The Covered Bridge Capital of the World".-Geography:...
, where he died. He was buried at Moscow, Indiana
Moscow, Indiana
Moscow is an unincorporated town in Orange Township, Rush County, Indiana. The town of approximately 80 residents was struck on June 3, 2008 by an EF3 tornado which destroyed its landmark 19th century covered bridge over the Big Flatrock river....
.
Wagoner is credited with discovering new ways that humans perceive hot and cold in the skin senses. "He isloated vasodilation and vasoconstriction as mechanisms that signal the brain that we are hot and cold." In addition, he discovered a key homeostasis feedback mechanism that helps humans maintain survival temperature.
He was a member of Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church in Greencastle, Indiana
Greencastle, Indiana
Greencastle is a city in Greencastle Township, Putnam County, Indiana, United States, and the county seat of Putnam County. It was founded in 1821 by Scots-Irish American Ephraim Dukes on a land grant. He named the settlement for his hometown of Greencastle, Pennsylvania...
. His professional memberships included the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
, the Psychonomic Society
Psychonomic Society
The Psychonomic Society is one of the primary societies for general scientific experimental psychology in the United States. Although open to all areas of experimental psychology, its members typically study areas related to cognitive psychology, such as learning, memory, attention, motivation,...
, American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
, American Association of University Professors
American Association of University Professors
The American Association of University Professors is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership is about 47,000, with over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations...
as well as Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society is a non-profit honor society which was founded in 1886 at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a handful of graduate students. Members elect others on the basis of their research achievements or potential...
and Psi Chi
Psi Chi
Psi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. With over 1,050 chapters, Psi Chi is one of the largest honor societies in the United States...
fraternities.
DePauw University has named a faculty chair for him, The Kenneth S. Wagoner Chair in Psychology.
Publications
- "The insensitivity of the cornea to heat and pain derived from high temperatures" by J. P. Nafe, K.S. Wagoner, in American Journal of PsychologyAmerican Journal of PsychologyThe American Journal of Psychology was the first English-language journal devoted primarily to experimental psychology . AJP was founded by the Johns Hopkins University psychologist Granville Stanley Hall in 1887...
, Vol. 49, No. 4 (Oct., 1937), pp. 631-635. - "The Effect of Adaptation upon Vascular Reactions to Thermal Stimuli" by John Paul Nafe in American Journal of PsychologyAmerican Journal of PsychologyThe American Journal of Psychology was the first English-language journal devoted primarily to experimental psychology . AJP was founded by the Johns Hopkins University psychologist Granville Stanley Hall in 1887...
Vol. 49, No. 4 (Oct., 1937), pp. 645-649. - "The Effect of Pain upon Peripheral Blood Volume" by J.P. Nafe, K.S. Wagoner, in American Journal of PsychologyAmerican Journal of PsychologyThe American Journal of Psychology was the first English-language journal devoted primarily to experimental psychology . AJP was founded by the Johns Hopkins University psychologist Granville Stanley Hall in 1887...
(1938) - "The Dependency of Cold upon Vascular Action: Studies with Nerve Block" by J.P. Nafe, K.S. Wagoner, in American Journal of PsychologyAmerican Journal of PsychologyThe American Journal of Psychology was the first English-language journal devoted primarily to experimental psychology . AJP was founded by the Johns Hopkins University psychologist Granville Stanley Hall in 1887...
(1939) - "The Nature of Being Human" by K. S. Wagoner in The Journal of Higher Education, (1961).