THE PSYCHOLOGICAL LABORATORY AT 
THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA 
BY CHRISTIAN A. RUCKMICK 
The psychological laboratory at the University of Iowa 
passed through several transitional stages. As early as 1887 
G. T. W. Patrick brought from Johns Hopkins the spitit of 
experimental psychology and began to use scientific apparatus 
as demonstrations in his lectures on experimental psychology. 
He was assigned a large lecture room in the northeast corner 
of the first floor of Old Capitol. The description of the course 
has historical significance: “Experimental Psychology, in¬ 
cluding an introductory study of the nervous system: relation 
of stimulus to sensation; time relations of mental phenomena; 
localization of cerebral function, three hours, one term.” By 
1890-91 this course was re-labeled ‘Advanced Psychology’ 
and was described as laboratory work in psychophysics, time 
relations of mental phenomena, etc., with Ladd’s Outlines of 
Physiological Psychology (1887) as the text. In 1892-93 this 
course was extended to two terms, five times per week and 
James’ Principles of Psychology became the text. At that 
time the lecture and demonstration room was moved to the 
southeast corner of Old Capitol, on the same floor, where the 
secretaries to the president of the university now function.1 
In the early years apparatus was scarce, but then there was 
apparatus. Dr. Patrick ordered from Germany during the 
second year a set of six tuning forks mounted on resonators, 
and a large dissectible model of the human brain, together 
with other models of the brain, of the ear, and of the eye. 
There were also many charts of the nervous system, special 
senses, illusions, etc. The university catalog of 1890-91 gives 
the following description of the ‘Psychophysical Laboratory.’ 
1 Dr. Patrick observes that “my class . . . was somewhat startled by the appear¬ 
ance of a sheep’s brain on my desk. A few of the students met with me to dissect it.” 
Iowa J. of History let Politics, 1932, 30, p. 412. 
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