H. Elmer Bierly
(A.B. Princeton; some graduate work at
Princeton & Harvard) establishes Florida's
first psychological laboratory in College
Hall at Florida State College with
equipment obtained from Clark University. College
Hall was located approximately on the current site
of the Westcott Building, just inside the main
gates of Florida State University. (See
biographical
information about H.E. Bierly.)
"There has been established a psychological
laboratory, the first one in Florida, which,
with its apparatus and accessories, affords
almost every opportunity for studying the
different senses, memory, illusions, time
relations, and the nervous system." [From
the 1902-03 College Catalogue]
1909
Edward Conradi(Ph.D. Clark University) becomes
President of Florida State College for Women and
teaches psychology courses in Philosophy
Department.
1915
Edwin Andrew
Hayden(Ph.D. University of
Michigan) becomes first Head of FSCW Department of
Psychology and continues to develop the Psychology
Laboratory.
1922
Paul F.
Finner (Ph.D. University of Wisconsin)
becomes 2nd Head of FSCW Department of
Psychology.
1926
A major public controversyarises concerning the
propriety of FSCW's Psychology faculty teaching
Freud and Darwin.
1935
Department of Psychology faculty move to
offices and state-of-the-art research laboratories
on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Education Building
which had been reconstructed with the aid of the
Federal Emergency Relief AdministrationThis
building was later renamed the Psychology Building
and now the Eppes Building. (See
1935 renovation floor plans)
1947
Florida State College for Women becomes
Florida State University.
1948
Hugh L. Waskom
(Ph.D. Indiana University) becomes 3rd
Head of Department of Psychology.
1950
Winthrop N.
Kellogg (Ph.D. Columbia University)
moves to FSU from Indiana University and begins
research on the use of sonar by porpoises and blind
humans.
1952
Doctoral Degree Program in Psychology
established by State Board of Education.
1953
1st Ph.D. in Psychology, awarded to Robert
Hattwick (Experimental Psychology; Howard Baker,
Major Professor). This was the 2nd Ph.D. degree
awarded by Florida State University.
1958
1st Ph.D. in Psychology to a woman, Fay Tyler
Norton (Experimental Psychology; Winthrop Kellogg,
Major Professor).
1964
1st Ph.D. in Psychology to a minority
student, Manuel Vega (School Psychology; Wallace
Kennedy, Major Professor).
1972
1st Ph.D. in Psychology to an African
American student, Aubrey Perry (Clinical
Psychology; Jack Hokanson, Major Professor).
2003
725 Ph.D.s
in Psychology awarded over a 50-year period
(Also see Hollar
(2003), Descriptive Analysis of Racial and
Ethnic Diversity of Psychology Ph.D. Recipients at
Florida State University 1953-2003).
1954
American Psychological Association accredits
graduate training in Clinical Psychology.
1962
Newspaper reportof funding received to build a new
Psychology Research Building, and description of
removal of historic frame structure on the
site.
1964
The Psychobiology Program, headed by Dan
Kenshalo and Lloyd Beidler (Biology), receive
substantial programmatic funding as part of the
National Science Foundation's Development of
Excellence award to FSU. Funding included
approximately 12 new faculty lines to be split
between Psychology and Biology, about 15 technical
and staff positions to operate the research
facilities, a large equipment budget, and an annual
expense budget. The State of Florida agreed to
maintain the lines and expense budget permanently
when the grant period ended.
1965
Psychology Research Building opens with 5
floors and over 32,500 sq. ft. of lab space.
Funding was provided by NSF and NIH grants obtained
by Dan
Kenshalo, and by matching funds from the
State.
Kellogg Research Building (formerly
Psychology Research Building) dedicated in honor of
Winthrop Kellogg. The dedication
ceremony included a public lecture by
Jane Goodall to acknowledge Kellogg's famous
project in the 1930s when he raised his son with a
chimpanzee for 9 months to study the nature/nurture
question.
1986
Michael E.
Rashotte (Ph.D. University of Toronto)
becomes 5th Chair of Department.
George E.
Weaver (Ph.D. University of Iowa)
becomes 6th Chair of Department.
1989
Alumnae of FSCW endow Edward Conradi Eminent
Scholar Chair in the Department of Psychology. This
was the first endowed chair in the College of Arts
& Sciences.
1989
Karen J.
Berkley (Ph.D. University of Washington) awarded McKenzie Professorship.
1990
Michael E.
Rashotte (Ph.D. University of Toronto)
receives the FSU Distinguished Teaching Professor Award.
1991
Doctoral Degree Program in Neuroscience (for
Psychology and Biological Science students)
established by Board of Regents.
K.
Anders Ericsson (Ph.D. University of
Stockholm, Sweden) moves to FSU from the University
of Colorado (Boulder) as the Conradi Eminent
Scholar.
1993
James
C. Smith(Ph.D. Florida State
University) receives the FSU Distinguished Research Professor Award.
1995
Robert J. Contreras(Ph.D. Michigan State
University) becomes 7th Chair of Department.
1997
Joseph K. Torgesen(Ph.D. University of Michigan)
receives the FSU Distinguished Research Professor Award.
1999
Richard K. Wagner(Ph.D. Yale University)
awarded FSU Named Professorship. Dr. Wagner selected the title "The Alfred Binet Professor of Psychology".
2000
Joseph K. Torgesen(Ph.D. University of Michigan) awarded FSU Named Professorship. Dr. Torgesen selected the title "The Robert M. Gagne Professor of Psychology".
2000
Friedrich K. Stephan(Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley)
awarded FSU Named Professorship. Dr. Stephan selected the title "The Curt P. Richter Professor of Psychology".
2000
Thomas E. Joiner(Ph.D. University of Texas-Austin)
awarded FSU Named Professorship. Dr. Joiner selected the title "The Bright-Burton Professor of Psychology".
2001
Initial planning funds from State for new
Psychology Center Building. The new facility will
consolidate Department of Psychology faculty, staff
and students into one building and will be located
on the grounds of the old Florida High School (DRS)
on the west side of campus.
2001
Alan R. Lang(Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison)
awarded FSU Named Professorship. Dr. Lang selected the title "The R. Robert von Brüning Professor of Psychology"
2002
Robert J. Contreras(Ph.D. Michigan State
University)
awarded FSU Named Professorship. Dr. Contreras selected the title "The James C. Smith Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience".
2002
Janet
A. Kistner (Ph.D. SUNY-Binghamton)
becomes 8th Chair of Department.
2002
Roy Baumeister(Ph.D. Princeton) moves to
FSU from Case Western Reserve University as the
Francis Eppes Eminent Scholar in Psychology.
2003
Karen J.
Berkley (Ph.D. University of Washington) receives the FSU Distinguished Research Professor Award.
Neil H. Charness(Ph.D. Carnegie-Mellon University)
awarded FSU Named Professorship. Dr. Charness selected the title "The William G. Chase Professor of Psychology".
2006
Richard K. Wagner(Ph.D. Yale University)
receives the FSU Distinguished Research Professor Award.
2006
Thomas E. Joiner(Ph.D. University of Texas-Austin)
receives the FSU Distinguished Research Professor Award.
2008
Department of Psychology occupies new
Psychology Building and The Stan and Paula Warmath
Courtyard is dedicated (October 10, 2008).
