William James Sidis

William James Sidis (1898–1944) was an American child prodigy who entered Harvard at age eleven and later wrote on mathematics, history, and other subjects.

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Boris Sidis: Boris Sidis was a Ukrainian-American psychologist and physician who promoted mental training and wrote about psychology. His father devised the intensive early education that made Sidis a public prodigy.
Harvard University: Harvard University is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, founded in 1636. Sidis entered Harvard at eleven and graduated in 1914.
Child prodigy: A child prodigy is a young person who demonstrates exceptional ability in a particular field. Sidis became one of the best-known American examples of extreme early ability.
Blaise Pascal: Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, and religious philosopher of the seventeenth century. Pascal’s early mathematical achievements developed into a prominent public scientific career.
Sarah Mandelbaum Sidis: Sarah Mandelbaum Sidis was an American physician and the mother of William James Sidis. She was a physician and part of the family environment behind his early education.
New York Times: The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851. Its coverage made Sidis a national news figure as a child.
Gifted education: Gifted education comprises educational approaches designed for students with unusually advanced abilities or learning needs. His childhood became a lasting case in debates over accelerated instruction and children’s welfare.
Savant syndrome: Savant syndrome is a rare condition in which a person with developmental disabilities displays exceptional ability in a specific domain. Sidis’s broad early academic attainment is distinct from the narrow skill profile associated with savant syndrome.
William James: William James was an American philosopher and psychologist associated with pragmatism and the study of religious experience. Sidis was named for his father’s friend, the philosopher who also taught at Harvard.
The Prodigious Life of William James Sidis: A 1986 biography of William James Sidis by Amy Wallace, based on family accounts and archival research. It traces his life beyond the sensational childhood stories.