Professor Emeritus of Psychology Herbert Klions turns 100

In 1926, the cost of a full year's tuition at Allegheny College was $200. A total of 607 students were registered at the college. The list of laboratories - available to students for an additional nominal fee - 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 "Herb" Klions was born. Friday, June 12, 2026 marks his 100th birthday.

The teacher and researcher spent 34 years as Allegheny College faculty - starting in 1959 and retiring in 1993 - 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 Allegheny College Counseling Center.

As one of the psychology department's 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 - which allotted more lab space - and hired other prominent faculty members, including Alec Dale and Jeff Cross.

"His vision for expanding psychology at Allegheny 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," said Lauren Paulson, associate professor and department chair of psychology. "The research culture Dr. Klions helped cultivate continues to influence how we teach, mentor, and support students."

In recent years, Klions' 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, Allegheny College 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.

"What makes Dr. Klions' 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," Paulson said. "His influence remains woven into the everyday work of the department and the experiences of our students."

Birthday messages for Dr. Klions can be sent to [email protected].