“If you are a University of Akron student and haven’t seen the Archives of the History of American Psychology, you are really missing out. Dr. David Baker, the director of the Archives of the History of American Psychology and professor of psychology, won the American Psychological Association’s Presidential Citation for preserving the historical records of American psychology this August.”
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If you are a University of Akron student and haven’t seen the Archives of the History of American Psychology, you are really missing out.

Dr. David Baker, the director of the Archives of the History of American Psychology and professor of psychology, won the American Psychological Association’s Presidential Citation for preserving the historical records of American psychology this August.

The archives, located in the Polsky Building, have been around since 1965 and were started at the University of Akron.

Dr. John Popplestone and Dr. Marion White McPherson founded the AHAP in effort to preserve the historical record of psychology.

They both were professors at UA, and decided to form the archives while other psychologists started writing journals or graduate programs.

The AHAP is an affiliate of the prestigious Smithsonian Institution Affiliates Program.

What makes the archives so special is the fact that they collect and have the most unique material around and is the largest of its kind in the world. They have everything, including manuscript collections, instruments and apparatuses, and a large collection of media, film and psychological tests.

For example, Abraham Maslow, a very famous psychologist, who is known for his idea of the Hierarchy of Needs, has his original journal entries and correspondences now in the hands of the archives.

Every year the president of the American Psychological Association, which is the largest psychology organization in the world, gives citations in recognition of contributions to the science and practice of psychology, efforts to improve and expand mental health services, and efforts to promote human welfare.

The President of the APA receives solicited nominations and then selects the individuals who he thinks are most qualified for the award.

There were many others who won the award, although Baker was the only one from the archives.

He was very surprised and honored to win such an outstanding award. Baker has been working with the archives since 1999 and is the Margaret Clark Morgan Director.

The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation recently provided a $2.1 million gift to endow the directorship at the Archives of the History of American Psychology.

Baker’s work with the archives consists of dealing with its daily operations. He talks with donors about collecting materials and papers to add to the collection. He also organizes programs, and invites speakers to share their knowledge at the Colloquium Series. Besides putting much time and effort in the archives, he is also a professor at Akron, where he has been teaching for nine years. He specializes in the history of psychology and is trained as a child psychologist.

To him the archives are a career within a career. Baker decided to get involved with the archives because as a psychologist he enjoys understanding why people and institutions are the way they are and why psychology is the way it is. His favorite part about working with the archives is getting to see really interesting artifacts and meet really interesting people.

If you are wondering how the AHAP can possibly afford to do all these wonderful things and hold these historical artifacts; we can thank the university as well as private donations. Anybody is welcome to come and visit the Archives as long as an appointment is made.

The reason for preserving the archives is to help researchers find information necessary from the original material.

The archives use history as a tool to educate the public about psychology.

Currently, a campaign is in progress to create a museum to house the archives.

There are so many artifacts in such a small space that the public would get much better use of the Archives if they were in a better location.

The predicted location of the Archives will be on the corner of College and Mill at the Center for History of Psychology.

If you are interested in visiting the archives you can visit the Website at www.uakron.edu/ul/archives or call to schedule a visit at 330-972-7670.

The archives are a tremendous resource for faculty, students and the community, says Baker.

So whether you have an interest in psychology, history, or are just looking for a fun and new experience, check out the Archives of Psychology located in the Polsky Building.

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