History of Gifted and Talented Education

William Torrey Harris

Jun 1, 1868

William Torrey Harris, superintendent of public schools for St. Louis, institutes the earliest systematic efforts in public schools to educate gifted students.

Francis Galton's Hereditary Genius

Jun 1, 1869

Francis Galton’s seminal work, Hereditary Genius, is published indicating that intelligence was passed through successive generations. His biographical study of over 400 British men throughout history leads him to conclude through statistical methods that intelligence was derived from heredity and natural selection.