Obituary: George Shouksmith

We note, with sadness, the passing of a notable New Zealand Emeritus Professor of Psychology, George Albert Shouksmith. Professor Shouksmith was a colleague of Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Bob Stewart, at Massey University, New Zealand, during the years in which SBP Journal was founded.

After graduating from Edinburgh University, Professor Shouksmith held positions at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, and Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. At a relatively young age, he was appointed as the Foundation Professor of Psychology at Massey University and later took up the position of Dean of Social Sciences in 1989, resigning from both positions upon his retirement in 1997. Further, Professor Shouksmith supported the development of professional psychology training clinics, located at three Massey University campuses in New Zealand, which led to the largest number of New Zealand’s clinical psychologists graduating from this university.

In addition to his academic work in the social sciences, Professor Shouksmith held a parallel career in the application of psychology to commercial or applied settings. He worked with British European Airways, National Airways Corporation of New Zealand, Air New Zealand, and the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority, and also taught Aviation Psychology in the newly established School of Aviation at Massey University.

At Professor Shouksmith’s memorial service, fellow Massey University Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Nigel Long, described the highlights of very productive, fruitful, and fulfilling academic career, including the publication of nine books and over 150 journal papers and articles. Professor Long recalled that Professor Shouksmith was a lively speaker with a repertoire of psychologist- related jokes, including “When two psychologists meet on the street, one says to the other, ‘You are fine, how am I?’” and “Prevalence figures indicate that one out of every five people suffer from delusions of grandeur. Look at four of your friends near you, and if it is not them, it must be you!”

Overall, Professor Shouksmith was a very warm, caring, humorous, generous, and outgoing person. He will be missed.

Dr. Robert A. C. Stewart, Editor-in-Chief
Social Behavior and Personality: An international journal