Dr. William Robert Thompson (1924-1979) was born in Toulon, France. He received his university education at the University of Toronto, B.A. (Hons. Philosophy) 1945, M.A. (Psychology) 1947, and at the University of Chicago, Ph. D. (Psychology) 1951. He ... »
Dr. William Robert Thompson (1924-1979) was born in Toulon, France. He received his university education at the University of Toronto, B.A. (Hons. Philosophy) 1945, M.A. (Psychology) 1947, and at the University of Chicago, Ph. D. (Psychology) 1951. He first came to Queen's University as a teaching fellow in 1947. He then worked at McGill and at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where he was departmental chairman for three terms, before returning to Queen's as department head in 1966. The book, Behavior Genetics (1960), that Dr. Thompson co-authored with J. Fuller is credited with launching the study of behavior genetics. Dr. Thompson was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship (1960), a fellowship to the Centre for Advanced Studies in Behaviourial Sciences at Stanford University and a James McKeen Cattle fellowship. His distinction was further recognized by his election as Director of the Canadian Psychological Association and to the Presidency of the International Behaviour Genetics Association.
