Frank Lee Collins Jr. (1950–2009).

An accomplished academician and nationally prominent training director, Frank Lee Collins Jr. died unexpectedly on December 19, 2009, at age 58, in Dallas, Texas. Born December 30, 1950, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Frank spent his childhood moving with his Air Force family throughout the United States and overseas. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern State University in Louisiana. He completed his doctoral work in clinical psychology at Auburn University under Leonard Epstein, graduating in 1980. He received numerous honors recognizing his contributions to education and training, including awards from CUDCP, the Association of Psychology Training Clinics, and the Society of Pediatric Psychology (APA Division 54). Frank effectively articulated the role of scientifically based broad and general training in professional psychology. He is survived by his wife Jennifer Callahan, his daughter Erin Collins, his stepdaughter Ali Dittloff, his parents Frank and Evelyn Collins, and his siblings and their families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ira Hirsh (1922–2010).

Ira Hirsh was a person who had high standards, for himself as well as others. As an academic leader and scientist he could be forceful and demanding, but his goal was always the betterment of the field. He had an unflagging devotion to psychology as a hard science. Ira published The measurement of hearing (McGraw Hill, 1952), which quickly became the standard textbook in audiologists. In addition to this book, he published over 100 scholarly articles, many of which laid the groundwork for research that has revolutionized such fields as audiology, psychoacoustics, audiometry, and deaf education. For example, Ira was among the first scientists to push auditory research beyond the study of single tones, clicks, or noise bursts. Ira was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Shirley, who passed away in 2004. He is survived by his four children, Donald Hirsh of Chapel Hill, Elizabeth Hirsh of Salt Lake City, Eloise Hirsh of New York City, and Richard Hirsh of Chicago; one sister, Jane Davis of Rochester, New York; and seven grandchildren. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maureen O'Sullivan (1939–2010).

The death of Maureen O’Sullivan on May 20, 2010, marked the passing of a pioneer and a highly respected figure in the field of emotion research. In her research, Maureen was drawn to the study of individual differences in the more social aspects of intelligence. Over time, she was drawn to the issue of individual differences in the ability to detect deception, which led to her studies of “truth wizards” who were particularly gifted in this domain. Maureen’s husband, Robert C. Wilson, passed away in June 1998. She is survived by her son Michael, her brother, a nephew, and many cousins. Her kindness, loyalty, and wise counsel touched the lives of countless students, colleagues, and friends, who remember her with great fondness and respect and mourn her passing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patricia McIntosh Bricklin (1932–2010).

Patricia McIntosh Bricklin, 78, of Wayne, Pennsylvania, died on December 21, 2010. Born in Las Animas, Colorado, on February 28, 1932, she is survived by her psychologist husband Barry, to whom she was married for 55 years, her daughters Carol and Alisa, and her sons Scott and Brian. Bricklin was a true pioneer in psychology and was among the few responsible for breaking the glass ceiling for women in the field. Bricklin was a leading force in the development of ethical principles and risk management strategies for the practice and discipline of psychology. Widener University President James T. Harris III noted, “The combined breadth and depth of her knowledge of psychology was unequaled at the university . . . Dr. Bricklin was a superb teacher, scholar, academic citizen, and a role model to which other faculty aspired to emulate.” (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Albert Israel Rabin (1912–2010).

Albert Israel Rabin, professor emeritus of psychology at Michigan State University (MSU), died on October 24, 2010, at age 98. Over six decades, Al published nearly 200 empirical reports, reviews, books, and chapters on personality, child development, psychopathology, and the use of the Rorschach and other projective and measurement techniques, including the first review of research on the Wechsler–Bellevue Scales (Psychological Bulletin, 1945) and comprehensive reviews of psychological studies on schizophrenia. In illuminating works, Al showed the kibbutz to be a natural laboratory for studying personality development in unconventional family settings.Rabin also received many awards and honors for his work. Al was a brilliant, warm, and generous friend, colleague, teacher, husband, and father. He filled his long life with honor and lasting accomplishments. He could have rested on his laurels, but he never did. Those who knew him remember him with love and respect. Everyone can learn much about his remarkable life from his essay, published at age 93, in the Journal of Personality Assessment (2005). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Richard Langton Gregory (1923–2010).

Astronomy has had a profound influence on the study of vision. Richard Langton Gregory, who died on May 17, 2010, was descended from the 17th-century inventor of the reflecting telescope, James Gregory, and his father (Clive Gregory) directed the observatory at the University of London. Seeing, and the instruments that can be used to extend its ambit, were Richard’s constant concerns, and his ability to communicate his fascination inspired many students to pursue the path of perception. Perception, especially when it was illusory, was the area in which Richard established himself in psychology. The influence of cognitive processes on perceptual experiences defined his approach, and he applied it to a wide range of phenomena. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ann Magaret Garner (1916–2010).

Ann Magaret Garner, a former professor of medical psychology at Oregon Health Sciences University, died in Lake Oswego, Oregon, on August 30, 2010. Ann was a preeminent scholar, teacher, and clinician. Through her commanding knowledge of child psychopathology and insistence on rigorous scientific methods, she helped shape the specialties of clinical child psychology and developmental disabilities; through her warm compassion and respect for others, she helped shape the careers of many students and colleagues. Born Gretchen Ann Magaret on January 25, 1916, in Omaha, Nebraska, she received her bachelor’s degree from Carleton College, her master’s degree from Radcliffe College, and her doctorate from Stanford University (1941). A profound intellectual curiosity and passion for the science of psychology characterized her work. Her guidance, clear thinking, and precision of measurement pushed students and colleagues to refine and clarify their own thinking and practices. Colleagues recall how Ann maintained boundaries of professional and personal life for herself and expected the same from others, to their betterment. Her pleasure in her own family was evident in the ways she organized her work schedule and in her enjoyment of her husband Ross (professor of Renaissance English) and their children Margaret and David. Leisure was an important part of her life—playing music with her children when they were younger and tennis with her husband well into her senior years. Ann Magaret Garner will long be remembered for influencing the way in which psychologists think about variations in child development and the role of family in shaping the individual. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gerald Vincent Mohatt (1940–2010).

This obituary describes the life achievements of Gerald Vincent Mohatt who lived from 1940 to 2010. His held a long history of commitment to the field of multicultural psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Seymour Bernard Sarason (1919–2010).

This obituary describes the life of Seymour Bernard Sarason, professor emeritus of psychology at Yale University, who died on January 28, 2010, in New Haven, Connecticut, at the age of 91. Seymour was the founder and the “conscience” of the field of community psychology, a prophetic and guiding light in the study of school culture and reform in education, and a groundbreaking leader in the field of mental retardation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Jack A. Adams (1922–2010).

Jack A. Adams, a noted engineering psychologist, was born in Davenport, Iowa, on August 3, 1922. He died from cancer in Falls Church, Virginia, on September 22, 2010, at age 88. Survivors include his two children, Samuel Adams of Indiana and Sara Cashell of Oregon, as well as three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Jack published more than 100 articles in refereed journals, and his article on his closed loop theory of motor learning, published in 1971 in the Journal of Motor Behavior, became a classic for scholars and researchers in the field. Perhaps Jack’s most noteworthy accomplishment during his tenure at the University of Illinois was his vital role in advancing the academic program in engineering psychology. The outstanding contributions of Jack A. Adams to engineering psychology will remain, but his colleagues will miss their interactions with a good friend. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Caryl E. Rusbult (1952–2010).

Caryl E. Rusbult, a pioneer in the scientific study of close relationships and a much esteemed and beloved colleague and mentor, passed away on January 27, 2010, of cancer, at the age of 57. Rusbult made many important, highly cited contributions. Her work played a major role in shaping an emerging specialization—the operation of social-psychological principles in close relationships—that is now a significant stream of social psychology. Her influential and exceptionally generative investment model of commitment explains how committed partners maintain and promote their relationships by transforming personal motives to account for the necessity of coordinating and getting along with partners. Perhaps more influential than her individual contributions was that Rusbult changed thinking about relationships. She believed that the preeminent phenomena of relationships—and for that matter, of human psychology—were not about personalities or individual minds as much as about the way that partners respond to the fact of their interdependence. The enormous impact of Rusbult’s theory, research, and teaching was recognized by major grants and awards. She conducted research in the same way as she lived life: with dignity, enthusiasm, great compassion for others, and an abiding commitment to truth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sara S. Sparrow (1933–2010).

Sara S. Sparrow passed away in New Haven, Connecticut, on June 10, 2010. She spent her final days in characteristically good spirits with close friends and her husband, Dominic Cicchetti, by her side. Sara was born on May 9, 1933, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After graduating summa cum laude from Montclair State College in New Jersey in 1958, she began her career as a speech therapist in Orlando, Florida. She continued her studies at the University of Florida, receiving a master’s degree in speech pathology in 1962 and a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology in 1968. Following completion of her doctorate, Sara became a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology at Yale University. Sara’s contributions to science were many, and she was directly responsible for substantially improving the quality of life of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Her major professional contribution was transforming the assessment of adaptive behavior with the development of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, the first life-span, norm-referenced measure of adaptive behavior. Sara’s contributions were recognized with numerous awards. Sara was a longstanding and active member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and was deeply invested in the mission and success of APA Division 33 (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities). Sara was a leader not only in her formal roles and responsibilities but also as a formative social force; she and her husband Dom shared their gifts as connoisseurs of wine, food, and living well with their colleagues and trainees. Sara’s warmth and ability to create a festive environment ensured that her students had the opportunity to meet potential collaborators and to share life as well as work stories. She was a model for her students in her passion and careful investment in her work as well as in her zeal and enjoyment of life. Sara is deeply mourned by her husband, siblings, many friends, and the countless students and colleagues whom she has influenced. A memorial fund has been established at the Yale Child Study Center in her name. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Paul W. McReynolds (1919–2010).

If any man met the definition of being both a gentleman and a scholar, it was Paul W. McReynolds, who died in Loveland, Colorado, on December 4, 2010, at the age of 91. Paul’s interests were wide-ranging, and his contributions to the profession were many. He delighted in teaching courses on the history of psychology, personality theory and assessment, motivation, behavior disorders, and psychotherapy. Paul received many honors and awards. He was a prolific and careful scholar and a dedicated teacher, and he strived to maintain the highest personal and academic standards. His influence on the field of psychology and on those of us who knew him will continue for years to come. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ruth C. Cohn (1912–2010).

This obituary highlights the life achievements of Ruth C. Cohn who was a psychotherapist, educator, and poet. She was born August 27, 1912, in Berlin, Germany, and died on January 30, 2010, in Dusseldorf, Germany. In the mid-1950s, Ruth began developing her creative group method called theme centered interaction (TCI). In 1966, along with her friend and colleague Norman Lieberman, she created the Workshop Institute for Living-Learning (WILL) for those interested in group leadership. She founded WILL–Europe in 1972. Ruth leaves behind a well-established organization called the Ruth Cohn Institute for TCI International, with headquarters in Germany. Her life and work have influenced the lives and work of many others on several continents, though most of her publications are in German. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Leon H. Levy (1925–2010).

Leon H. Levy died on August 24, 2010, in Richmond, Virginia, at the age of 84. Leon was an extraordinary scholar, teacher, and visionary. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Antioch College in l950 and a doctorate in psychology from Ohio State University in 1954. He was a faculty member at Indiana University, Bloomington, for 24 years, serving as the director of clinical training from 1969 to 1978. In 1978, Leon became chair of the Psychology Department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and served in that position until his 1996 retirement. He was the principal figure in creating and launching UMBC’s highly successful doctoral program in Human Services Psychology (HSP) and was graduate program director from its inception in 1984 until his retirement. His striking effectiveness in two concurrent leadership roles continues to amaze his successors. Leon was also an innovator in the professional preparation of psychologists. Leon was the recipient of numerous national Public Health Service grants and published more than 60 scholarly articles. Leon is survived by his wife Sandra M. Levy, a psychologist and priest associate at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia; his children Paul, Judy, and Claire Levy; and his step-sons Brian and Kevin Esterling. We join his family in mourning his passing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Michael D. Newcomb (1952–2010).

Michael D. Newcomb was a gifted psychologist who had an indelible impact on the study of drug etiology and consequences. He was a prodigious scholar, capable of weaving together the most challenging methodological, developmental, and psychological concerns, all framed by a deep clinical acumen. He resolved some of the most difficult challenges facing longitudinal researchers examining the range of psychosocial forces affecting drug use and deviant behaviors. Michael Newcomb was born on December 20, 1952, in Laguna Beach, California, and died in Santa Monica, California, on February 13, 2010, after a long battle with a degenerative neurological disease. He received his bachelor’s degree in social ecology from the University of California, Irvine (1974), where he pursued joint studies in developmental psychology and mathematics. Much later, he would forge these two academic disciplines together in a rare and powerful blend examining substance use etiology and consequences. Newcomb made latent constructs come alive, something that many of us overlook or fail to fully appreciate. He was a staid nonconformist, which was reflected in his ardor for research on deviant lifestyles. His “liberal” tendencies were captured well by his long, flowing mane of reddish-blond hair tied back in a pony tail. He was a modern Wittgenstein, a connoisseur of wine, food, travel, and friendship, and probably the most widely read person one could meet. Newcomb was the quintessential mentor, and his life force will remain indelibly etched in many minds. Collectively, his students’ sojourn and their own grappling with lofty ideals are a mere reflection of his caring professional tutelage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Jack Block (1924 –2010).

Born Jacob Block in Brooklyn, New York, on April 28, 1924, Jack received his bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College. Block is one of the most influential personality and developmental psychologists of his generation and of the 20th century; at the same time, he established himself as a pioneer and authority on applications of multivariate statistics to psychological data. Block became involved with an existing longitudinal research project at Berkeley, found insightful ways to bring order out of previously unused anecdotal and informal data, and used it to publish the influential Lives through time (1971, Bancroft). Equally important were Block’s contributions to statistical methodology and personality assessment. The challenge of response sets (1965, Appleton-Century-Crofts) nearly single-handedly restored confidence in substantive interpretations of self-report measures of personality; and his demonstrations of the utility of observer evaluations and elaboration of the Q-sort method (The Q-sort method in personality assessment and psychiatric research, 1961, Thomas) helped establish the knowledgeable observer as a valuable source of psychological information. Block was ahead of his time on two other major analytic issues: latent variable modeling and empirical sampling distributions for statistical inference. Block also became well-known for his energetic participation in research controversies. As a key participant in the “person–situation debate,” he argued for the lifelong coherence of personality. After decades of health challenges, he insisted on being taken home, where he could be surrounded by his music, his art, and his family and where he died on January 13, 2010. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Albert Ellis (1913–2007).

Presents an obituary for Albert Ellis (1913–2007). Albert Ellis, originator of one of the major approaches to psychotherapy in the history of psychology, Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), died in New York City on July 24, 2007, at 93 years of age. Ellis began his professional life as a psychoanalyst but rejected its strong focus on early-life influences and its protracted therapeutic process. In the 1950s he developed his own cognitively oriented approach to therapy, which ultimately became REBT. It has been argued that these developments represented the first step in the cognitive revolution in psychotherapy, which culminated with cognitive approaches coming to a dominant position in contemporary therapy, not unlike the parallel dominant position of cognitive psychology in psychological science. REBT has been influential worldwide, being employed by therapists in many countries but also read about and used in self-help by a wide public. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Esther Halpern (1929–2008).

Presents an obituary for Esther Halpern who was best known for her innovative contributions to clinical training, her developmental and cross-cultural research, and her organizational leadership. Provided is a summary of her life history, educational background, and contributions to the research and teaching of child development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anne Anastasi (1908–2001).

Memorializes Anne Anastasi, an enduring figure in the areas of psychological testing and differential psychology. Anastasi served as president of the American Psychological Association (APA) as well as president of APA Division 1 (General Psychology) and Division 5 (Evaluation, Measurement, and Statistics). Other milestones of her career are detailed briefly. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)