William George Smith (1866-1918)

William George Smith (1866-1918) was Edinburgh University's first lecturer in Psychology.

Early Years

Smith was educated at George Watson’s College, Edinburgh, before going on to study Philosophy at Edinburgh University. Upon graduating MA with First Class Honours in 1889, he became assistant to Henry Calderwood (1830-1897), Professor of Moral Philosophy at Edinburgh. In 1891, Smith began postgraduate studies at Leipzig University, graduating PhD in 1893.

First Appointments

After further research at Strasbourg and Freiburg universities, he travelled to the United States, where he worked at Hugo Münsterberg's laboratory at Harvard University in 1895, becoming Associate Professor of Philosophy at Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, later that year. He returned to Britain in 1901 to take charge of the newly established Department of Experimental Psychology in connection with the Pathological Laboratory of the London County Council Asylum at Claybury. Conjointly with this post, he was appointed Lecturer in Experimental Psychology at King's College London in 1902. In 1903, he was both elected to the Physiological Society and became a founding member of the British Psychological Society. In the same year, he moved to the University of Liverpool as Lecturer-in-Charge of Experimental Psychology.

Edinburgh University

Until 1906, Psychology was taught at Edinburgh University from the Chair of Logic and Metaphysics, but, in that, year recognition of the development and growing importance of the subject led to the creation of the Combe Lectureship in General and Experimental Psychology. The post and associated laboratory were funded by the Trustees of solicitor and phrenologist George Coombe (1788-1858). Smith was the first appointee, rising to become Head of a flourishing department. Upon his death in 1918, he was succeeded by Sir James Drever (1873-1950).

Sources

• John Kenna, 'Biographical Notes on the Ten Founding Members’, in The British Psychological Society 1901-1961, ed. Hannah Steinberg (London: The Society, 1961)
• 'William George Smith (1866-1918)', History of Psychology Centre, [accessed 15 December 2014]