Sula Wolff (1924-2009)

Professional Life
Sula Wolff was born on March 1, 1924 in Berlin. She left Germany with her family soon after the Nazi invasion and enrolled in Oxford University in England. She graduated from the medical school at Oxford in 1947 with a specialty in pediatrics. After graduation, Wolff joined the staff of the Maudsley Hospital in London to complete her psychiatric training. After marrying Henry Walton, Wolff completed clinical training in child psychiatry in Scotland and decided to stay on at the Edinburgh Medical Research Council as a consultant.

Wolff accepted a post at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children and became world renowned for her research and advancement in the area of child psychiatry. Her publication of Children Under Stress: Understanding the Emotionally Disturbed Child, led to her world-wide recognition and she soon began traveling the globe giving lectures.

Wolff and her husband were art enthusiasts. They collected rare pieces that were often displayed publicly. Many of their commissioned prints were sold to benefit hospitals. Prior to her death, Wolff insisted that nearly her entire collection of priceless art be donated to the National Gallery of Scotland.

Contribution to Psychology
Sula Wolff is recognized as one of the founders of British child psychology. She spent much of her career studying what she termed “loners.” She published a book of the same title, in which she described her clinical experiences with these developmentally and psychologically delayed children. She studied many of them throughout their lives and although few ever exhibited symptoms of clincial schizophrenia, she discovered many other emotional disturbances present in these often friendless people, including aggression and suicidal ideation. Wolff dedicated her life to her work, her friends, and her family. She was valued professionally and personally and her efforts impacted the field of child psychology in extraordinary and insightful ways.