Printed: 2013-05-25
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University of British Columbia. Dept. of Psychology
Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
University of British Columbia. Dept. of Psychology
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1958-
History
A course in psychology was first offered by the University in 1915, through the Department of Philosophy. Prof. James Henderson was the sole member of the Department until 1920, when Dr. H.T.J. Coleman was appointed Head (as well as Dean of Arts). Only one course in psychology was taught until 1926, but by 1936 enough courses had been added to the curriculum for the Department's name to be changed to Philosophy and Psychology. Dr. Coleman was replaced as Head by J.A. Irving in 1940, followed by S.N.F. Chant in 1945. When Prof. Chant became Dean of Arts and Sciences in 1948, he remained Department Head, but Dr. Barnet Savery acted as Chairman in his absence; starting that year, separate staff meetings were held for faculty in the philosophy and psychology programs. Beginning in the 1940's the Department expanded rapidly, and during this period moved from rooms scattered around campus to a number of Army-surplus huts. In 1951 the Department was authorized to grant a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, although the first degree was not actually awarded until 1968. The Department of Psychology was established as a separate unit in 1958, with Professor Chant as its Head, and Prof. Edro Signori as Chair and, after 1961, Acting Head. Dr. Douglas T. Kenny was appointed as Head in 1965. That same year the Department moved from its old huts to new facilities in the Angus Building, sharing the building with the Faculty of Commerce. Under Dr. Kenny's leadership the Department continued to grow in terms of faculty, students and course offerings; also its programs became less eclectic and more focused on experimental psychology and research. When he resigned in 1969, Prof. Signori served again as Acting Head until Dr. Peter Suedfeld was appointed in 1972; he, in turn, was replaced by Dr. Richard C. Tees in 1984. In 1984, the Department moved again, to the new Kenny Building. Over the years the Department of Psychology has grown to become one of the largest in the Faculty of Arts.
