Department of Psychology History, 1963 | University of Illinois Archives

Courses in psychology began in 1891, after the Board of Trustees voted to establish a professorship of psychology in 1890.¹ In 1893, Psychology, along with Economics, Philosophy and Pedagogy, was moved from the College of Literature to the College of Literature to the College of Science in an effort to stress the scientific aspects of these four subjects.² The aim of this curriculum was "to furnish the student, largely by means of inductive study, a knowledge of the nature of mind, its modes of behavior, the forms under which it manifests itself, the laws according to which it unfolds and develops, and the influence of environment upon this development."³ In 1904, Psychology was formally established as a separate department.⁴ In 1907, Psychology was approved for a M.S. degree and as a minor for a Ph.D.⁵ In 1916 the first Ph.D. degree in Psychology was awarded.⁶ In 1935, Psychology was placed under the newly established Division of Social Sciences.⁷ In 1945, a M.S. in Clinical Psychology and in 1964 a major in Applied Psychology were added to the curriculum.⁸ In 1966, a Doctor of Psychology degree became available for those interested in service in Clinical Psychology rather than research and scholarship.⁹ After 1950, grants authorized extended research programs in the following laboratories:

--Psychological Clinic

--Personality Group Analysis

--Group Effectiveness Research Laboratory

--Child Behavior Laboratory (1967)

--Training Research Laboratory

--Community Psychology Action Center

--Psychological Development Laboratory

--Children's Center Preschool (1967)

1. Catalogue & Register, 1891-92, pp. 18, 115; Board of Trustees Transactions, 16th Report, September 9, 1890, pp. 20, 32.

2. Catalogue & Register, 1891-93, p. 119; 1893-94, pp. 62-65.

3. Ibid., 1893-94, p. 65.

4. Board of Trustees Transactions, 22nd Report, June 6, 1904, p. 292.

5. Ibid., 24th Report, June 10, 1907, p. 133.

6. Ibid., 28th Report, June 13, 1916, p. 959.

7. Ibid., 38th Report, April 20, 1935, p. 161.

8. Ibid., 43rd Report, March 13, 1945, p. 407; 53rd Report, December 16, 1964, p. 271.

9. Ibid, 53rd Report, May 18, 1966, pp. 1178-80.