Jane Kessler (GRS ’51, psychology), a longtime Case Western Reserve University faculty member who retired in the 1990s, passed away July 21 at the age of 104.
Kessler, a leader in child psychology, was on the faculty for more than 40 years before retiring as the Lucy Adams Leffingwell Distinguished Professor Emerita in the Department of Psychological Sciences. In 2018, she earned the Frank and Dorothy Humel Hovorka Prize in recognition of her exceptional career contributions to her field.
Through her work and studies, Kessler was an advocate for children with developmental disabilities and their families. She founded the university’s Mental Development Center at a time when there were not many programs for children with developmental disabilities.
Prior to her career at CWRU, Kessler served in the U.S. Navy (WAVES) as a psychologist working with World War II veterans. She went on to earn a degree from what was then Western Reserve University.
Upon her retirement from CWRU, she and a colleague purchased and ran the local Appletree Books before selling it in 2015.