Patrick Suppes

Patrick Suppes was the Lucie Stern Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Stanford University, and was also professor emeritus by courtesy in Stanford's Department of Statistics, Department of Psychology, and School of Education. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and his doctor's degree from Columbia University. He came to Stanford in 1950 as an assistant professor and was Director of Stanford's Institute for Mathematical Studies in the Social Sciences (1959-1992) and Director and Faculty Advisor for Stanford's Education Program for Gifted Youth (1992). He published widely in philosophy and the social sciences, especially in psychology and education.

Suppes was a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1962), the American Psychological Association (1964) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1968), a member of the National Academy of Education (1965), National Academy of Sciences (1978), and a member of the American Philosophical Society (1991).

Among his awards are the American Psychological Association's Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, Columbia University Teachers College Medal for Distinguished Service (1978) and the National Medal of Science (1990).

He was a past President of the Pacific Division, American Philosophical Association (1972-73), the American Educational Research Association (1973-74), National Academy of Education (1973-77), and International Union of History and Philosophy of Science (1976, 1978).

Patrick Suppes passed away peacefully at his home on the Stanford campus in 2014 at the age of 92. He is remembered as a significant American philosopher that made contributions to philosophy of science, quantum mechanics, psychology, and educational technology.

The Suppes Corpus is an online database that holds an extensive collection of writings by Patrick Suppes. This site also contains several other resources relating to Suppes' work, including a vast video collection of his lectures, as well as several photos taken over the course of his career at Stanford. This site is provided as an open resource for scholars and researchers by Stanford's Philosophy Department in memory of Professor Suppes.