John W. Pilley
John W. Pilley | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 1, 1928 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | June 17, 2018 (aged 89) |
| Years active | 1969–2018 |
| Known for | Owner and trainer of Chaser the border collie |
| Title | Professor of psychology 1969–1996; professor emeritus of psychology, 1996–2018 |
| Spouse | Sally Pilley (married 1955) |
| Children | Deborah Pilley Bianchi, Robin Pilley |
| Academic background | |
| Education | Ph.D. psychology (1969) |
| Alma mater | Memphis State |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Behavioral psychologist |
| Institutions | Wofford College |
John W. Pilley (July 1, 1928 – June 17, 2018) was an American behavioral psychologist best known for his research into canine cognition and language learning with his Border collie, Chaser, who had the largest tested memory of any non-human animal. He was a professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at Wofford College and was an avid kayaker throughout his life. Pilley was awarded an honorary Doctor of Psychology from Wofford College in 2016.