A Tribute to Dr .E. Paul Torrance
by Lynda Foster, Ph.D.

It was my good fortune to meet Dr. Torrance in the summer of 1972. I had been a post graduate student at the University of Texas and was keenly interested in creativity. A professor there changed my life by suggesting that I read a work by Dr. E. Paul Torrance entitled Guiding Creative Talent. I took the book home, relished each page, and knew that I had to meet the author of this great book, which by the way I feel should be required reading for anyone, anywhere, who deals with children and their needs.

After I had finished the last page of this book, I put pen to paper and wrote Dr. Torrance to ask if it were possible for me to study with him. Within a matter of days, a reply came from Dr. Torrance himself saying that he would be pleased to have me as his student.

I headed from Texas to Georgia and spent the next four years in what I would consider educational heaven. There I came to know Dr. Torrance and his wife Pansy. They showed me such wonderful Georgia hospitality. They took me into their hearts and minds and I learned in my four years in Georgia the true meaning of creativity on both a personal and professional basis. I emerged there with my Masters and PhD, having had the privilege of studying with one of the world's greatest teachers.

First let me tell you a bit about the man himself and his wife Pansy. Dr. Torrance and Pansy were quite a formidable pair. The two together seemed to have a dynamic energy not quite possible with either of them on their own. Pansy took great pride in her husband's achievements and Dr. Torrance was always filled with admiration for Pansy. In Dr. Torrance's introductory courses in creativity, Pansy would usually come and give her famous "spoon demonstration." She had a bag of spoons all shapes and sizes and would demonstrate the many ways the common spoon could be used by changing its size and shape. For example, a shovel is really just an enlarged spoon.

Pansy and Dr. Torrance introduced me to their programmes for disadvantaged youth. In Georgia in 1972, poverty was quite common. It was in the disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Athens that Dr. Torrance would hold creativity workshops to introduce these youngsters to the joys of creative thinking. He was often amazed to find out how creative these children were in spite of their poverty. They often were forced to use commonplace objects in unusual ways just to survive. Some of his research has shown that disadvantaged children are more flexible in their thinking than children reared in more advantaged households.

As a student of Dr. Torrance, I was so amazed that this very busy man, who also headed the Department of Educational Psychology, always had time for his students. Dr. Torrance always kept the door to his office open so that anyone could walk in and chat to him. Very rarely did I see the door closed, although the door of other less busy professors would never be open!

I personally loved walking into his office and discussing ideas with him. He created the perfect environment for creativity. Always Dr. Torrance gave an idea the air in which to breathe and take hold. He was genuinely interested in the creativity of others and would take every opportunity to listen carefully for possibilities. He lived his beliefs every second of the day.

After I received my PhD and before coming to England, I taught in Georgia schools. One of Dr. Torrance's pet projects at the time was the Future Problem Solving Bowls which were just beginning to take hold. Georgia held a large Future Problem Solving Bowl in Athens, and I brought one of my teams from a Gainseville, Georgia school to attend. The children loved the competition and the challenge of using their creativity to solve problems of the future. The children had to solve the problem of what the world would be like if each household had a personal computer. What would be the major problems involved? That was in 1976 before we even dreamed of personal computers!

After I left the United States in 1977 and came to England, I wrote Dr. Torrance and kept him informed about what was happening here in England in education. He was fascinated by British ways of teaching and learning. We kept our correspondence up until the very last days when he went into the nursing home. His replies to my letters and emails still only took a few days to reach me, just like his reply to my very first letter.

Those of us fortunate enough to have known Dr. Torrance marvelled at how positive he remained even until his very last days. He never complained since he knew that problems were a way of life and that the most important concern was the solution and not the problem itself. His Christmas newsletter to his friends was like a catalogue of medical ailments, but never once did he feel sorry for himself or in any way convey a negative thought. That was not in his nature.

The world has lost a great "beyonder" with the death of Dr. Torrance. However, Dr. Torrance would want us all to go forward, to be great teachers, and to inspire others to be more creative in their lives. The greatest tribute that any of us could give to Dr. Torrance would be to use his teachings to make this a more creative world. A more creative world would mean that each child would achieve his greatest potential, and nothing meant more to Dr. Torrance than future of children.

Dr Lynda Foster is a Trustee of our Charity - The Creativity Centre Educational Trust

Torrance books

Many of Dr Torrance's books our out of print, but you can still order some of his books through our website. See the bookshop for details.