Virgil V. McKenna *67

Virgil McKenna, professor of psychology emeritus at the College of William and Mary, died Aug. 2, 2017, after a brief illness. He was 82.

McKenna graduated from William and Mary in 1957 and earned a master’s degree from Swarthmore in 1959. He earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Princeton in 1967. McKenna had returned to William and Mary and began his teaching career there in 1962.

Aside from being a popular lecturer, he conducted research in many areas of psychological development and perception. He did work for NASA, the Center for Population Research, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Development Services. He co-authored Introductory Psychology: Readings for Discussion (1980), and received many honors for his academic work.

A lifelong lover of dogs and horses, he also had a great love for William and Mary (past and present), following its sports teams, any news of the college, and always having a considered opinion on any matter concerning his alma mater.

McKenna is survived by his wife of 59 years, Willafay; two children; and one granddaughter.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.