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A Brief History of SRHD
| With the inauguration of a new Society Webpage, I was asked to compose a brief history for posting there, as we no longer have printed newsletters. I first want to acknowledge the invaluable assistance of Kay Cutler, immediate past Secretary-Historian, who had virtually all of the necessary data already assembled in a scrapbook and in a brief timeline she published in the Fall 1998 newsletter. For a fuller version of the history, see the links to a formal record of our officers, by-laws, and convention highlights. If any reader of this history has additions or corrections, I invite communicating them to me.
Ruth L. Ault Brief History of SWSRHD/SRHD 1976: First Gathering According to Spencer Thompson, the organizational meeting for what became the Southwestern Society for Research in Human Development (SWSRHD, pronounced “swizzard”) was held in San Antonio, TX, in the Spring of 1976. Stan Kuczaj, then at Southern Methodist University, is widely regarded as the instigator. Some 10-15 developmentalists, all from Texas, gathered to discuss ways to advance cooperation and communication among regional developmental psychologists. The feasibility of getting together during the off-years from the biennial meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) would be a key mechanism to achieve those goals. Stan took on the role of President and Harold (Hal) Grotevant (at University of Texas, Austin) acted as Secretary-Treasurer. Two years later, the goals of the organizing group were realized with our first biennial meeting. [For just a list of all officers see ”Officers of SWSRHD"; For a list of all meeting sites, members who were instrumental in putting on the meeting, and speakers for invited address, see Biennial meeting sites. Spring 1978: First Biennial Meeting
The site of our first meeting was in Dallas, TX, from March 17-19. The tone for the meeting was informal and friendly, especially welcoming to young faculty and graduate students. The two invited addresses were given by Andy Collins, “Temporal Integration and Children’s Inferences About Televised Social Behavior,” and Catherine Garvey, “Cooperation in Conversation: An Analysis of Preschool Age Children.” Kay Cutler’s history published in the Fall 1998 newsletter says that the first newsletters were written in 1978 “with six members serving as editors.” The March 1978 newsletter, written just after the convention, gives no indication of who wrote it, but it appears to be the first one, as the newsletter dated September 1978 billed itself as “Volume 1, Number 2.” [Newsletters] Both of these newsletters reported on the successful first meeting that included 62 research presentations. Ninety of 150 members registered. The September 1978 newsletter announced that Stan Kuczaj had been elected President, and Hal Grotevant had been elected Secretary-Treasurer by mail ballot. It also mentioned that interested parties would meet in 1979 at the SRCD convention in San Francisco to continue planning for the 1980 SWSRHD meeting. That appears to have established the precedent of having a business meeting every year. September 1979 “Volume 2, Number 1” of the newsletter The newsletter announced the highlights of the upcoming second meeting, called for nominations for officers, and noted that the upcoming business meeting would focus on a discussion of formalizing the Society, by adopting by-laws and a constitution. Dues were $8.00 for “full members” (i.e., faculty) and $4.00 for students for the 2-year period between conventions. March 27-29, 1980: SECOND BIENNIAL MEETING in Lawrence, KS. Between September and March, a slate of officers was elected, with the winners announced at the business meeting on the campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence. John Wright became our second elected President and Gerald Adams was Secretary-Treasurer. Stan Kuczaj apparently received the title of “Founding Father.” John Wright asked Spencer Thompson to be the Newsletter Editor.
A “Planning Committee,” chaired by Barbara Moely, produced a survey asking the membership to react to various possible activities the Society could sponsor and created a draft of our first set of By-Laws. Those articulated the Society’s purpose, which remain unchanged to the present day: “The purposes of the Society shall be to stimulate and support research in human development, to encourage cooperation among individuals in the Southwestern region of the United States who are engaged in the scientific study of human development, and to encourage the application of research finds.” April 8-10, 1982: THIRD BIENNIAL MEETING in Galveston ,TX. At the business meeting in Galveston, the draft By-Laws were discussed and revised. Also during the convention, past, present, and future officers met with Dorothy Eichorn, SRCD’s executive director, to discuss pros and cons of incorporation. With the consensus being on the pro side of the argument, Hal Grotevant moved us forward on that front by consulting a Texas attorney and filling out the incorporation paperwork. By December 1982, the Society was legally incorporated in Texas. Officers for the 1982-1984 biennium were Harold Grotevant, President, and Jacques D. Lempers, Secretary-Treasurer, with Spencer Thompson continuing in the role of Newsletter Editor. Spring 1983 The By-Laws were presented to the membership in the February 1983 newsletter, with a vote called for by March 15, 1983; the announcement of their adoption occurred at the business meeting at SRCD that spring. March 15-17, 1984: FOURTH BIENNIAL MEETING in Denver, CO. Officers elected for the new biennium were: Jacques Lempers, President March 6-8, 1986: FIFTH BIENNIAL MEETING in San Antonio, TX For the 1985-1986 biennium, dues jumped to $20 for full members; $10 for students (where they have remained to this date).
New officers were: Barbara Moely, President March 17-19, 1988: SIXTH BIENNIAL MEETING in New Orleans, LA This meeting marked the first time students competed for a research award. [See Student Research Competition] A second Member-at-Large position was created sometime before this meeting, but the newsletters of the time do not record how this decision was reached.
Newly elected and appointed officers were: Deborah Lowe Vandell, President March 15-17, 1990: SEVENTH BIENNIAL MEETING in Dallas, TX
New officers were: Linda Anooshian, President March 19-21, 1992: EIGHTH BIENNIAL MEETING in Tempe, AZ New officers were: Martha J. Cox, President February 24-26, 1994: NINTH BIENNIAL MEETING in Austin, TX Julie Ann Mason was elected Secretary-Treasurer but tragically died July 15, 1994 shortly after giving birth. Amanda Harrist stepped up to fill the job. Other new officers were: Spencer K. Thompson, President
March 28-30, 1996: TENTH BIENNIAL MEETING in Park City, UT
March 19-21, 1998: ELEVENTH BIENNIAL MEETING in Galveston, TX Incoming officers were: Deborah Jacobvitz, President Spring 1999 At the SRCD 1999 business meeting, the new By-laws became official, separating the roles of Treasurer and Secretary. [By-Laws] The Newsletter Editor shifted to become a Webmaster, with Mike Godfrey taking on the position and designing the first site. This new position was unofficially dubbed SWSRHD Wizard for its alliterative properties. April 13-15, 2000: TWELFTH BIENNIAL MEETING in Eureka Springs, AR
March 7-9, 2002: THIRTEENTH BIENNIAL MEETING in Austin, TX After many years of discussion about whether the society should remain regional or expand, and whether having a regional name (“Southwestern”) made it more difficult for members to get funding to attend the biennial meeting, the membership voted at the Austin business meeting to change the society’s name to Society for Research in Human Development, SRHD. Kay Cutler, Secretary, was given the task of seeking approval from the state of Texas. That turned out to be more complicated that anyone envisioned, as a defunct Texas organization’s name also began with “Society for Research.” Kay had to seek permission from their board of directors to share the beginning of the name, but those individuals either were no longer living or were incapacitated. Multiple rounds of registered letters and appeals have moved the process into the final waiting stage, with approval anticipated for Spring 2007. At this Austin meeting, the Society held its first memorial session, for John C. Wright who had died in an automobile accident the previous year. It was especially poignant because John had moved from the University of Kansas to the University of Texas at Austin, so many of his current and former students could attend the session. Incoming officers were: Lori Roggman, President April 1-3, 2004: FOURTEENTH BIENNIAL MEETING in Park City, UT
March 30-April 1, 2006: FIFTEENTH BIENNIAL MEETING in Fort Worth, TX The Society initiated a new award category, OUTSTANDING MENTOR, with the first recipient, Aletha Huston, being honored at this meeting. Society president, Becky Glover (at left in photo) presented the award to Aletha (at right).
Incoming officers were: Belinda Blevins-Knabe, President |
Updates and suggestions to John Holden. Last updated March 23, 2007.
Photo courtesy of Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau
Photo courtesy of Dr. Patricia Hawley
