Philip Hastings, professor emeritus of psychology at Williams College, died Nov. 13, 2012. He was 90.
Hastings graduated from Williams in 1944, and then served in the Navy into 1946. He earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Princeton in 1951 and became an assistant professor at Williams the same year. He later was promoted to full professor and in 1986 received emeritus status.
At Williams, he expanded its collection of Elmo Roper’s opinion polling data into the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, a repository of research studies from 90 countries and data from about a thousand research bodies — reportedly the world’s largest such archive.
In 1977, Hastings founded Survey Research Consultants Inc., of which he was chairman. The company conducted marketing and opinion surveys in New England, also brokering foreign surveys under contract with the U.S. government for several years. It also published the monthly World Opinion Update from 1978 to 2007. With his wife, Elizabeth, he co-edited 21 annual volumes of the Index to International Public Opinion Research. He also had been president of the World Association of Public Opinion Research (1971-72).
Hastings is survived by Elizabeth, his wife of 62 years; three daughters; and six grandchildren. Another daughter predeceased him.
Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.