Awarded on the recommendation of the Department of Psychology, preference will be given to a student in an undergraduate degree program for work done in the history of psychology. This fund was established on the occasion of Professor Wendt’s retirement, in recognition of his contributions over many years to the Department of Psychology, the Faculty of Social Sciences, and to the University community. This prize is intended to assist the recipient to build a personal library.

Rusty Wendt, former Dean of Social Sciences died on November 26, 1993.  Born in Edberg, Alberta, on March 15, 1917, Rusty taught in Alberta public schools in the ’30s, and received his BA from the University of Alberta in 1942.  Following war service, he received his MA from Alberta, did further graduate work at McGill and psychological research with the army.  he was involved with Carleton as a sessional lecturer from 1950-’57, when he became the second full-time member of the psychology department.

Rusty became chair of the department in 1961, a position he held until 1970.  In 1964, he was appointed the first Dean of Students at Carleton.  In 1970, following a heart attack, he gave up the psychology chair position, but in 1971, having recovered, became Dean of Arts.  With the separation of the two divisions of the Faculty in 1976, he became the first Dean of Social Sciences.  He retired from the University in 1982.

During his term as chair, the psychology doctoral program was established (1966), and the first psychology PhD granted (1968.)  His administrative skills had much to do with the expansion of the department to its position as one of the largest academic units at Carleton.