John Orr Crites : in memoriam

Australian Journal of Career Development, Autumn, 2008 by Mark Savickas

John Orr Crites, one of the leading vocational psychologists of the 20th century, succumbed to pneumonia on March 15, 2007. With his passing, counsel ling psychology lost an exemplar of its scientist-practitioner model. Jack's scholarly contributions and leadership substantially advanced vocational psychology both as a distinct discipline in applied psychology and as a substratum of the profession of counselling psychology.

While possessing a brilliant mind, Jack did not climb to the pinnacle of his discipline alone. He always credited his teachers and mentors for guiding and smoothing his ascent. Jack occasionally told the story of how as a freshman at Princeton University he received a poor grade in an English composition course. The professor then invited Jack to his house for tutoring. Professor Carlos Baker, the preeminent Hemingway scholar, taught Crites how to write simply and directly. He also insisted that Jack develop Ernest Hemingway's habit of writing a paragraph every day, beginning each morning by crafting 'one true sentence.' In 1950, Jack graduated magna cum laude from Princeton as a history major. He then joined the Air Force, serving for two years as Chief of Career Guidance at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

When Jack returned home to New York City, his occupational choice was at issue. At first he sought a position in personnel work but failed to secure one. While seeking ideas about which occupation to pursue, Jack happened to read an article in the Lady's Home Journal written by President William Fletcher Russell of Teachers College, Columbia University. Moved by the article entitled 'Why Your Child Should Become a Teacher,' Jack the next day went to Teachers College to enrol in courses to become a history professor. Immediately unhappy with his choice, Jack asked a professor who taught personnel psychology for guidance, and guide him he did. As they talked, Albert Thompson (Division 17 President 1962-1963) learned of Jack's military experience and invited Jack to enrol in his two-year certificate program in personnel psychology. In due course, Jack met Al's great friend Donald Super (Division 17 President 1951-1952). Don became Jack's doctoral sponsor, mentor, and life-long friend. While studying psychology at Teachers College, Jack's counselling style was shaped by his practicum supervisor, Joseph Edward Shoben (Division 17 President 1958-1959). Shoben's book with Laurence Shaffer on the Psychology of Adjustment (1956) would also strongly influence Jack's model of work adjustment.

While completing his doctoral studies at Teachers College, Jack served as a staff member on Super's Career Pattern Study, authoring with Don a book entitled Vocational Development: A Framework for Research. Jack used Career Pattern Study data to write a dissertation that examined whether ego-strength as measured with the Rorschach Inkblot Test related to interest patterning on the Strong Vocational Interest Blank. When he found it did not, the disappointing results turned Jack's attention from psychodynamic formulations to behavioural analysis of vocational development. After graduating in June 1957, Jack became a counselling psychologist and lecturer in educational psychology at the University of Texas. He returned to New York City that summer to be a symposiast in the American Psychological Association (APA) program honouring Harry Dexter Kitson, Donald Super's mentor. Jack experienced a satisfying symmetry and a sense of closure when he presented his final APA address at the symposium memorialising Donald Super during the 1995 convention in New York City.

While at Texas, Jack and Don began work on the second edition of Appraising Vocational Fitness which appeared in 1962. That book, originally published by Super in 1949, stood as the definitive textbook on career assessment for 25 years and continues to be well worth reading today. Although the test descriptions are outdated, the conceptual framework remains important. For example, the format for conceptualising a case by differentiating person appraisal from problem appraisal remains vital, and the section distinguishing four types of interest assessment should be core knowledge for every career counsellor. After one year at Texas, Jack moved to the University of Iowa as senior counsellor and assistant professor of psychology.

Jack's years at Iowa (1958-1971) were highly productive. He published 38 book chapters and journal articles. He served as co-editor (1961-1972) of the Test Review section in the Journal of Counseling Psychology. In 1963, the American Board of Professional Psychology named him a diplomate in counselling psychology and in 1967 he attained the rank of professor. From 1963 to 1971, he headed the graduate training program in counselling psychology while simultaneously directing the University Counselling Service (1964-1971). The counselling service staff--including Leonard Goodstein, Arthur Heilburn, and James Stephenson--made a national reputation for the quantity and quality of their research publications. Highly skilled as counsellors, the staff also created an innovative approach to group career counselling using the transactional analysis model.