Histories

Psychology Department founding document (PDF) 
The University of Minnesota Regents meeting minutes of May 19, 1917, establishing the new psychology department and appointing R. M. Yerkes Chair.  [Regents May 19_17]

Department’s Early Leaders (PDF)
This paper by Thomas Brothen describes the department's founding and its early leadership.

Department History as of 1953 (PDF) 
This 1953 history was likely written by Miles Tinker who taught History of Psychology in the Department for many years.

Department History as of 1960 (PDF)
This is a follow-up to the 1953 Tinker paper (it notes that Tinker wrote the earlier piece but no authorship is indicated).

Kenneth MacCorquodale’s yearly talk to new graduate students (PDF)
MacCorquodale did this for years and it was reputed to be a very popular event.

Online Access to R. M. Elliott Correspondence in the University of Minnesota Archives  
Elliott had a very extensive correspondence and saved nearly everything—including childhood letters home from camp! Most of the archived material was digitized in 2015/16 and is accessible through this finding aid. A good deal of additional material is available in the University Archives.

Audio interview with R. M. Elliott (WAV)
Recorded in the mid-1960s by Wallace Russel and Kenneth MacCorquodale and conducted in the old Psychology Building. It is approximately 2 hrs long. The first 5 min involve small talk while the tape recorder is set up.

A History of Applied Psychology in the Department by Marvin Dunnette (PDF)

The Minnesota Point of View
In this 2005 chapter in The General College Vision, Cathrine Wambach and Thomas Brothen write how the founding, mission, and counseling emphasis of the University of Minnesota General College as well as the student personnel movement throughout the U.S. had roots in the Department of Psychology.

The Criterion Model of General Education
In this 2005 chapter in The General College Vision, Thomas Brothen and Cathrine Wambach write how the University of Minnesota General College’s theoretical basis for assessment and admissions had its origins in the Department of Psychology.

Current List of Department PhD graduates (table) 
First compiled by Paul Meehl, the department maintains this list. Lore has it that Meehl liked the “Minnesota flavor” of the first name on the list and included it even though there was no independent psychology department until 1917.