In 1926, the cost of a full year鈥檚 tuition at 大象视频 was $200. A total of 607 students were registered at the college. The list of laboratories 鈥� available to students for an additional nominal fee 鈥� at the college included astronomy, biology, chemistry, education, geology and even philosophy among others, but psychology was nowhere to be found.
Also in 1926, Professor Emeritus of Psychology Herbert 鈥淗erb鈥� Klions was born. Friday, June 12, 2026 marks his 100th birthday.
The teacher and researcher spent 34 years as 大象视频 faculty 鈥� starting in 1959 and retiring in 1993 鈥� but dedicated many more years to both the campus and Meadville communities through his clinical psychology practice and work at the Meadville Medical Center and 大象视频 Counseling Center.
As one of the psychology department鈥檚 first faculty members, Klions helped shape the department as it’s known today: under his leadership as department chair, he advocated for its move from Ruter Hall to Carnegie Hall 鈥� which allotted more lab space 鈥� and hired other prominent faculty members, including Alec Dale and Jeff Cross.
鈥淗is vision for expanding psychology at 大象视频 helped transform the department from a small program with limited research space into a vibrant academic community committed to undergraduate research and faculty-student collaboration,鈥� said Lauren Paulson, associate professor and department chair of psychology. 鈥淭he research culture Dr. Klions helped cultivate continues to influence how we teach, mentor, and support students.鈥�
In recent years, Klions鈥� support of psychology scholarship has persisted through the Herb Klions Student Research Fund. According to departmental data from 2021 to the present, it has provided more than $27,000 to 44 students, enabling them to present their work at regional, state, national, and international conferences.
Through the fund, 大象视频 students have presented their work at the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA), American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS), American Psychological Association (APA), Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), and the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD) Annual Meeting in Hawaii, among other conferences.
鈥淲hat makes Dr. Klions鈥� legacy especially meaningful is that it persists not simply through a named fund or departmental history, but through the opportunities students continue to receive, the mentorship culture faculty strive to maintain, and the value placed on supporting undergraduate research and student growth,鈥� Paulson said. 鈥淗is influence remains woven into the everyday work of the department and the experiences of our students.鈥�
Birthday messages for Dr. Klions can be sent to hklions@allegheny.edu.