History of the Hope College Psychology Department

Hope Psychology

Tracing the history of the department

Psych Locations

Overview

Use the menu items above to follow the psychology department through four periods in its history.

Early History

From the founding of Hope College in the 1850s to the Great Depression of the 1930s, Hope students learned about human nature and human behavior through courses taught in the departments of Religion, Philosophy, and Education.

Graves Hall

Forming the Department

By the 1930s, psychology had become well established as an academic discipline, so Hope formed a psychology department.

 

Scientific Foundations

During the decade of the 1960s, the psychology department positioned itself as a bridge between the social sciences and the natural sciences.

The Modern Era

From 1970 to the present, the department has continued to evolve as a popular discipline within the College.

Click here to view a timeline of the Hope College faculty appointments in psychology.