Elizabeth Pilant

Elizabeth Pilant
A white woman with short curly hair, wearing dark clothing
Elizabeth Pilant, from the 1948 yearbook of Ball State University
Born
Elizabeth Hope Carter

June 26, 1905
Montana, U.S.
DiedApril 27, 1987 (age 81)
Fallon, Nevada, U.S.
Occupation(s)Educational psychologist, folklorist, college professor

Elizabeth Hope Carter Pilant (June 26, 1905 – April 27, 1987) was an American educational psychologist and folklorist, a professor of English on the faculty at Ball State University from 1947 to 1971.

Early life and education

Carter was born on her family's ranch in Yellowstone County, Montana, one of the six daughters of Elmer Bela Carter and Laura May Edwards Carter.[1] Her father died in 1915; her mother was a school teacher.[2] She graduated from the University of Washington in 1928, and earned a master's degree from the University of Hawai'i in 1931.[3] Her master's thesis was titled "O. Henry: The Sultan of the Short Story".[4] She completed an Ed.D. in educational psychology at the University of California in 1939,[5] with a dissertation titled "The interest of adolescents in physical, mechanical-scientific, and intellectual-cultural pursuits: A cumulative and comparative study".[6] She pursued further studies at the University of Colorado and American University.[7]

Career

Carter taught school as a young woman. She taught at Ventura Junior College and the University of Utah, and was dean of women at Western Illinois University. During World War II, she worked for the overseas division of the American Red Cross. She was a professor of English at Ball State University[8] for over twenty years, from 1947[9] until she retired in 1971.[7]

Carter specialized in children's literature and American folklore.[10] In 1949 she organized a national conference on American folklore for children, and started a national organization for the study of folklore and pedagogy.[11] In 1950, she spoke at the American Folklore Society's meeting in Berkeley.[12] She traveled the world as a lecturer on folklore for the USAID in 1954,[13] and was known for her collections of jewelry and home furnishings from all over the world.[14] She was a member of Pi Lambda Theta.[15]

Publications

Pilant's research and essays were published in academic journals including Western Folklore,[16] The Social Studies,[17][18] The School Review,[19] The Clearing House,[20] English Journal,[21] Peabody Journal of Education[22] and Elementary English.[23][24][25]

  • Sky Bears (poetry)[2]
  • "The Dowser in the Ozarks" (1950)[16]
  • "Predicting Adult Opinion from Child Opinion" (1950)[17]
  • "So You Want to Individualize Instruction?" (1950)[19]
  • "Trigger Words: They Start the Themes Rolling" (1951)[20]
  • "American Folklore for Remedial Reading" (1951)[21]
  • "Student Group-Discipline" (1953)[22]
  • "Family Folklore" (1953)[23]
  • "Do We Over-Emphasize Current Events?" (1953)[18]
  • "American Folk Literature for Children" (1954)[24]
  • "Display Devices for Children's Literature" (1954)[25]

Personal life

Carter married Richard Pilant,[13] who was known for his successful campaign to establish a memorial to George Washington Carver.[26][27] She died in 1987, at the age of 81, in Fallon, Nevada.

References

  1. ^ "Obituary for Elmer Bela Carter". The Journal. 1915-06-05. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-03-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "Have You Read: Sky Bears by Elizabeth Pilant". Record-Journal. 1953-02-09. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-03-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Hawaii Topic at Bar Meeting". Muncie Evening Press. 1947-11-06. p. 18. Retrieved 2024-03-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Directory of Officers and Students, 1931-1932" University of Hawaii Quarterly Bulletin 10(4)(November 1931): 30.
  5. ^ University of California (1939). Register of the University of California. D.W. Gelwicks, State printer. p. 75.
  6. ^ Carter, Elizabeth Hope (1939). The Interest of Adolescents in Physical, Mechanical-scientific, and Intellectual-cultural Pursuits: A Cumulative and Comparative Study. University of California.
  7. ^ a b "Dr. Elizabeth Pilant will retire to travel". The Star Press. 1971-04-18. p. 16. Retrieved 2024-03-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Eleven Faculty Members Are Promoted at Ball State". The Star Press. 1952-06-12. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-03-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Add Faculty Members". The Star Press. 1947-05-20. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-03-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Dr. E. H. Pilant U. of D. Speaker". The Morning News. 1954-11-05. p. 33. Retrieved 2024-03-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Matinee Musicale to Study Folk Music". Muncie Evening Press. 1951-04-14. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-03-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Folklore and Folklorists". Western Folklore. 10 (2): 179–181. 1951. ISSN 0043-373X. JSTOR 1497984.
  13. ^ a b "Pilants Will Take Trip Around World". The Star Press. 1954-06-02. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-03-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Zinninger, Micki (1963-02-17). "Here's A Woman Whose Hobbies, Work and Life Are Remarkable". The Star Press. p. 11. Retrieved 2024-03-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Pi Lambda Theta Meeting is Held". Muncie Evening Press. 1947-11-15. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-03-07 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b Pilant, Elizabeth (1950). "The Dowser in the Ozarks". Western Folklore. 9 (4): 384. doi:10.2307/1496270. ISSN 0043-373X. JSTOR 1496270.
  17. ^ a b Pilant, Elizabeth (December 1950). "Predicting Adult Opinion from Child Opinion". The Social Studies. 41 (8): 343–345. doi:10.1080/00220973.1938.11017571. ISSN 0037-7996.
  18. ^ a b Pilant, Elizabeth H. (February 1953). "Do We Over-Emphasize Current Events?". The Social Studies. 44 (2): 59–61. doi:10.1080/00377996.1953.9957294. ISSN 0037-7996.
  19. ^ a b Pilant, Elizabeth (March 1950). "So You Want to Individualize Instruction?". The School Review. 58 (3): 162–165. doi:10.1086/441691. ISSN 0036-6773.
  20. ^ a b Pilant, Elizabeth (January 1951). "Trigger Words: They Start the Themes Rolling". The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas. 25 (5): 290–291. doi:10.1080/00098655.1951.11474824. ISSN 0009-8655.
  21. ^ a b Pilant, Elizabeth (1951). "American Folklore for Remedial Reading". The English Journal. 40 (4): 227–228. doi:10.2307/807592. ISSN 0013-8274. JSTOR 807592.
  22. ^ a b Pilant, Elizabeth (March 1953). "Student group-discipline". Peabody Journal of Education. 30 (5): 292–294. doi:10.1080/01619565309536419. ISSN 0161-956X.
  23. ^ a b Pilant, Elizabeth (1953). "Family Folklore". Elementary English. 30 (3): 148–149. ISSN 0013-5968. JSTOR 41384046.
  24. ^ a b Pilant, Elizabeth (1954). "American Folk Literature for Children". Elementary English. 31 (3): 131–149. ISSN 0013-5968. JSTOR 41387344.
  25. ^ a b Pilant, Elizabeth (1954). "Display Devices for Children's Literature". Elementary English. 31 (5): 284–286. ISSN 0013-5968. JSTOR 41384221.
  26. ^ "Pilant Finds Carver Fame Well Known in India". The Star Press. 1954-09-23. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-03-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Trail Blazer for Democracy". The Indianapolis Star. 1954-12-05. p. 173. Retrieved 2024-03-08 – via Newspapers.com.