Gerald S. Lesser

Gerald S. Lesser (1925-2016) was an American author, psychoanalyst, and educator best known for his groundbreaking and influential works on child development and educational television. Lesser was the co-author of the renowned book “Children and Television: Teachers Guide to the SOS Approach to TV Criticism”, which suggested methods and provided guidance for assessing the educational value of television broadcasts. He was also the creator of the award-winning educational television program, “Sesame Street”, which introduced ideas of early childhood education to millions of children.

Lesser was born in 1925 in Boston, Massachusetts, and during World War II, he served in the Army Air Force. After the war, he obtained his doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 1952 at Harvard University. During the 1950s and '60s he was a research psychologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he studied the impact of visual media, especially television, upon children’s development.

In 1969, Lesser was appointed Head of Editorial Research at the Children’s Television Workshop (CTW) by founders Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, who wanted to create a commercial-free, educational program for children using television. As a result, Lesser was the driving force in developing “Sesame Street”. In this capacity, he wrote the CTW's Manifesto and wrote hundreds of scripts, research articles, and editorials, as well as writing the book "Children and Television".

In the book, Lesser outlined guidelines and techniques for critically analyzing television content and soliciting feedback from young viewers. He argued that, like books, television should be used to provide children with constructive, educational learning experiences. He urged producers to create programs that could, for example, develop the skills of problem solving, cooperation and communication, and that could help shape young people's values and beliefs.

Throughout his career, Lesser's research and programs have been lauded for their positive contributions to children’s education. As a result of his pioneering work, TV and video media have become increasingly valuable tools for introducing ideas and concepts to children in a fun and engaging way.

Lesser's work has also been praised for its scientific basis. He was the first to link psychoanalytic theory and research to the influence of television on children, and his impact is evident today, with researchers citing him as the source of theoretical and methodological foundations for studying the effects of media on children.

In recognition of his enduring contributions to the field of educational psychology, Lesser was awarded multiple honorary doctoral degrees and was appointed to the Children's Television Workshop's Board of Educational Advisers. He was also nominated for the prestigious Marshall McLuhan Award by the International Communication Association.

Gerald S. Lesser dedicated his life to understanding how best to educate children through media, and his legacy lives on in the works he produced and the positive effect he had on millions of children. His insight and brilliance have no doubt changed the way generations of children now learn and engage with television materials.