Howard Gardner

     Howard Earl Gardner was born on 1943 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. His parents were refugees who fled from Nürnberg in Germany in 1938 with their 3 year old son, Eric. Prior to Howard’s birth, Eric was killed in a sleighing accident. Gardner was a good student who greatly enjoyed playing the piano. In fact, he became an accomplished pianist as a child and considered becoming a professional pianist. As Howard discovered his family’s “secret history” (and Jewish identity), he began to realize that he was both different from his parents and peers. Howard went to a nearby preparatory school nearby in Kingston, Pennsylvania. From there Howard went to Harvard University to study history in readiness for a career in the law. However, he was lucky enough to have Erik Erikson as a tutor. Howard’s interest in psychology and social sciences grew. He entered Harvard’s doctoral program in 1996, and in the following year became part of the Project Zero research team on arts education. Project Zero provided an environment in which Howard Gardner could begin to explore his interest in human cognition. Gardner is married to Ellen Winner. He was divorced from the well-respected developmental psychologist, educator, and author Judith (Krieger) Gardner, who passed away in 1994. Gardner has four children.