Davidson, May Alison (1914-1982) papers

Miscellaneous documents:

Documents circulated by Mahesh Desai to the Training Subcommittee, with covering letter to May Davidson , 1 Mar 1956

British Psychological Society, "Memorandum of Evidence to the Ministry of Health Sub-Committee on the Training of Staff of Training Centres for the Mentally Subnormal", Jul 1960

Minutes and circulated papers of Co-ordinating Committee of Senior Psychologists in The National Health Service 1961-1964, (including material on salary scales, evaluation of the work of NHS Psychologists, training courses, etc), with a little correspondence between Mahesh Desai and May Davidson

May Davidson, "The Scientific/Applied Debate in Psychology", Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, Vol 30, Aug 1977

Invitation and order of service for Meeting of Thanksgiving for the life of May Alison Davidson, 26 Feb 1982

(Memo from John Hall to Colin Newman, 11 Feb 1982, passing on 'old minutes and reports which May had kept, which may be worth keeping', transferred to depositor file. It includes note that her Committee of Professional Psychologists (Mental Health) Minutes were "Taken for PP file, 2004" - see PSY/BPS/2/2/6/8/2)

1956-1982

1 file

Other number refers to numbering system used by previous owners, the British Psychological Society.

Deposited in the library at Wellcome Collection by the British Psychological Society in September 2008.

May Alison Davidson, CBE (1914-1982) Hon. MA FBPsS Somerville College.

Educational Psychologist to the City of Oxford 1946-1949

Consultant Psychologist, Warneford Hospital 1950-1980

First Consultant Adviser on Clinical Psychology to the Department of Health and Social Security 1973-1980

President of the British Psychological Society 1976-1977

May Davidson worked in the Oxford region until her retirement in 1980. During that time she built up the psychological services of the region. Davidson had a major influence on the development of clinical psychology in Great Britain. She was the first official advisor to the Department of Health and Social Security on professional matters relating to psychology, was an adviser on Top Grade posts and appointments in clinical psychology in the Health Service, and was a member of several influential committees, including the Standing Mental Health Advisory Committee.

Further biographical information can be found in the Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 1982, vol.35, p.175.

Compiled by the Cataloguing Project Archivist at the British Psychological Society History of Psychology Centre, with minor editing by Wellcome staff.

BPS accession number acc/0016. Given to Colin Newman (Executive Secretary of the Society) by John Hall of Oxfordshire Area Health Authority, 11 Feb 1982.