Dr. Lenore Walker

Dr. Lenore Walker
Psychologist
1941 -
Inducted 1987

Dr. Lenore Walker, a licensed psychologist, is a pioneer in the field of domestic violence at the state, national, and international levels.

As a Psychology Professor at Colorado Women’s College, University of Denver, and others, Walker has researched and developed public policy and education programs. She has advocated legislative reform to report and prevent domestic abuse, and she frequently testifies as an expert witness in legal actions involving abused persons. Walker is president and CEO of Walker & Associates and the founder and executive director of Domestic Violence Institute. Walker interviewed 1,500 women who had been subject to domestic violence and found that there was a similar pattern of abuse, which she termed the "cycle of abuse.“ Her published articles and books have helped change attitudes and laws that blame victims rather than the perpetrators of abuse.

“[The] women I interviewed had such great difficulty in believing in their own ability to escape from the battering relationship, yet they had incredible coping skills to stay alive and minimize the harm they . . . experienced.” — Dr. Lenore Walker