Yerkes, Robert Mearns - Biography
Biography
In an autobiographical essay written in middle age, Yerkes recalled that he had been a "moody, strong-willed, unsuggestible child, difficult to control." Throughout Yerkes's career, a stubborn streak in his personality sometimes led to conflicts with other scientists. Yet it also gave him the tenacity to hold onto his dream of building a primate research center, where both his name and his scientific legacy live on to this day.
Early life
Yerkes was born on May 26, 1876, in Breadysville, Pennsylvania. He was the oldest child of Silas Marshall Yerkes and Susanna Addis Carrell Yerkes. Growing up on a farm, he developed a lasting interest in the domesticated and wild animals that were all around him: cows, horses, mules, sheep, hogs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, pigeons, rabbits, dogs, cats, rats, mice, snakes. The bond...
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