Psychology Department

The Department of Psychology at William & Mary offered its first courses in 1888, after the reorganization of the College. The courses were taught under the Department of Moral Science, Political Economy, and Civil Government.At this time, President Tyler taught the course, in which he alternated his lectures between psychology and civil government.(Henneman)

As early as 1905, Philosophy and Psychology were organized together, although each field was housed in separate buildings and there were no joint appointments. However, they were not listed as an official department until the 1938 Undergraduate Catalog.(Henneman) According to the 1942-1943 College Catalog philosophy and psychology were one department under Professor James Wilkinson Miller. In the next catalog for 1944-1945 psychology and philosophy are separate departments. Professor Miller is still the head of philosophy, while Professor Edgar Maria Foltin was the head of psychology. Under the leadership of Professor Joseph Roy Geiger, the Psychology department expanded its courses to include experimental and laboratory courses to supplement lectures.

Today, the Psychology department continues the pedagogy established by Geiger. The "classes cover topics such as human development, psychopathology, learning, personality and motivation, physiology, social behavior, community and health psychology, statistics, and research methods. We present psychology as a science in terms of its philosophy, principles, and methods." [1] Additionally, the department continues their connection with communities outside of William and Mary. "The Psychology Department maintains active ties to local human-service institutions and organizations. A number of our faculty members are licensed clinicians with considerable practical experience." [2]

References

• 1938-39 Undergraduate Catalog, Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library, William & Mary.
• Psychology department website, http://www.wm.edu/as/psychology/?svr=web, accessed 2 April 2009.
• Richard Hubard Henneman, "Psychology at William and Mary," Alumni Gazette 8.4 (1941): 8-9, 25-28. University Archives Subject File, Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library, William & Mary.

Material in the Special Collections Research Center

• Guide for conducting research related to the College of William & Mary
• Dept. of Psychology in the SCRC database.
• Undergraduate Catalog
• The Flat Hat
• The William and Mary News
• Colonial Echo

Need help?

To search for further material, visit the Special Collections Research Center's Search Tool List for an overview of the Special Collections Database, W&M Digital Archive, Flat Hat-William & Mary News-Alumni Gazette index, card catalogs, and other tools available to help you find material of interest in William & Mary Libraries Special Collections Research Center.

Questions? Contact the Special Collections Research Center at spcoll@wm.edu or 757-221-3090, or visit the Special Collections Research Center in the Earl Gregg Swem Library at William & Mary.

A Note About The Contents Of This Wiki

The information available in this wiki is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Unfortunately, many of the early original records of William & Mary were destroyed by fires, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. Information in this wiki is not complete as new information continues to be uncovered in Swem Library's Special Collections Research Center and elsewhere. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use the Special Collections search tools for their research as the information contained in this wiki is by no means comprehensive.