The Yerkes connection.

Kelleher et al. (1987) tells a short story. They explain how Charlie Ferster turned hallway chats into a real journal. The paper is a memoir, not an experiment. It covers the 1957 Eastern Psychological Association meeting and the mail that followed.

The key point: one determined leader can spark a field-wide tool. Ferster kept the group focused. His push changed loose talk into the first issue of JEAB in 1958. The study shows personal drive in action, not graphs or data.

Horton (1987) tells the same birth story but keeps the spotlight on the group, not Ferster. Both papers agree on the date and place; they just pick different heroes. Coleman (1987) adds another slice. It recalls how authors mailed in small checks to fund early issues. Together the three 1987 pieces form a full picture: leader, meeting, and money.

Laties (2008) jumps ahead fifty years. It keeps the Ferster tale, then updates it with editor lists, gender shifts, and free online archives. The new data do not erase the old story; they simply extend it. Saville et al. (2002) counts articles from 1958-1999. Their charts show trends the 1987 story could only guess at. Again, no clash—just a later layer of detail.

If you train new BCBAs, this paper is a quick morale boost. Share it to show that one persistent voice can create a resource the field still uses. Pair it with Laties (2008) for a before-and-after view in your history lesson. Use the tale to nudge shy grads: step up, speak out, keep the mailing list going.