Timeline

1917-1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s

1960
Dr. Mary Vermillion is added to the Psychology and Education Department faculty, which enables all day division teaching and 62% of evening division courses to be taught by regular staff. Vermillion teaches several education courses in addition to those in clinical psychology

With a major grant from Standard Oil, IIT's Psychology department becomes a nationally recognized research center for its examination and treatment of academic underachievement (Drs. Robert Roth, David Hershenson and Harris Berenbaum)

Eastwood Industries builds and underwrites a variable wave-form, variable frequency, variable intensity, signal generator for use in the physiological psychology laboratory at a cost of $8000

Counseling and clinical programs founded

1961
Dr. David P. Boder dies in Los Angeles, California

1962
Dr. R.J. Corsini and Dr. Robert Roth accepts appointments as, respectively, associate and assistant professor

Plans commence for the physical facilities and funding of the Life Sciences Building

1963

Dr. Phil Shurrager develops The Haptic Intelligence Scale for Adult Blind

Psychology department studies show that purely psychological stress is capable of producing gastric ulcers in laboratory animals, a condition called "expectancy failure". Click here to view press release (PDF file).

1964
Dr. Leo Abood, innovative researcher and nationally-known neuroscientist, lectures

Dr. Geroge J. Ross, Associate Professor of Psychology and Education, is a guest on "The American Scene" nationally broadcast television show

1966
Dr. Willard Kerr resigns to take chairmanship of Department of Psychology at Middle Tennessee State University

Dr. David Hershenson receives federal funding to establish the Rehabilitation Counseling Program at IIT

Average faculty salary is $11,400

1967
Undergraduates majoring in Psychology number 51, graduate students are 264

Site Committee of APA does not approve the program in Counseling Psychology, citing an "intolerable" student-faculty ratio (about 23 to 1), too great a reliance on parttime and adjunct faculty and primarily clinical as opposed to counseling settings for practicum and internships

1969
Psychology Department establishes the Counseling Center