William Dunlop Tait

William Dunlop Tait (1880-1945) was the founder of the Department of Psychology at McGill University. He served as the Department Head from 1924 to his death in 1944.[1]

Originally from Nova Scotia, he earned his bachelor's degree at Dalhousie University, then went to the U.S. for graduate work, taking a PhD at Harvard University under the supervision of Hugo Münsterberg. He was appointed to a Lectureship in the Philosophy Department at McGill in 1909, and he founded McGill's first experimental psychology laboratory in 1910. Tait was promoted to Assistant Professor in 1914, but clashed mightily with the Head of Philosophy, William Caldwell.

In World War I, Tait commanded the 7th Canadian Siege Battery, which fought at the Battles of Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, and Passchendaele, among others.[2]

In April 1924, the university president, Arthur Currie, agreed to Tait's long demand that psychology be separated from Philosophy and given its own Department. Simultaneously, Tait was also promoted to Professor and made Head of Psychology.

Although he was responsible for bringing experimental psychology to McGill, Tait's work was mostly applied in character, focusing especially on educational psychology.