Center for the History of Psychology

In Association with the Smithsonian Institution

The Cummings Center is also home to the Institute for Human Science and Culture. To learn more, visit the Institute website.

About the Center

The Drs. Nicholas and Dorothy Cummings Center for the History of Psychology, located at The University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, collects, preserves, provides access to, and interprets the historical record of psychology and related human sciences. Read more.

The Center houses the Archives of the History of American Psychology and the National Museum of Psychology, as well as the multidisciplinary Institute for Human Science and Culture.

Read our mission and values.

Land Acknowledgement

The Cummings Center is located on the ancestral lands of many diverse nations. These lands were ceded in the 1805 Treaty of Fort Industry and tribes forcibly removed through the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The Cummings Center pays respect to the land and lives of Indigenous Nations past and present, and is committed to a process of continual honoring, learning, reflection and reconciliation.
Read our full Land Acknowledgement.

News and Events

Holiday Hours

The Cummings Center, including both the National Museum of Psychology and Institute for Human Science and Culture, will be closed on Friday, July 4 and Saturday, July 5. We will return to our regular hours on the following Tuesday, July 8. Wishing you a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Watch the 2025 Benjamin Lecture Online

In May 2025, we welcomed acclaimed psychology and author Dr. Daniel T. Willingham as the featured speaker for the 11th Annual Ludy T. Benjamin, Jr. Distinguished Lecture in the History of Psychology. Dr. Willingham spoke on the use of psychological science in K-12 education to improve student achievement.

A recording of the 2025 Benjamin Lecture is available to watch on our YouTube channel. Watch Dr. Willingham's full lecture.

Archives on Tour

This year, we'll be bringing key materials from the Archives on tour! Visit our booth at the American Psychological Association Convention for a first-hand look at the documents and artifacts that tell the history of psychology.

American Psychological Association Convention in Denver, CO - Thursday, August 7 through Saturday, August 9

Statement on Dr. Nicholas Cummings and Sexual Orientation Change Efforts

The Cummings Center for the History of Psychology is named for Drs. Nicholas and Dorothy Cummings, in recognition of their significant financial support for the Center. We at the Center acknowledge that Dr. Nicholas Cummings spoke and wrote in support of sexual orientation change efforts in therapeutic settings when requested by the client. Nicholas Cummings’ words and his stature gave legitimacy and encouragement to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations, and his public statements on sexual orientation retain the ongoing potential to cause harm.

Major organizations focused on mental health have found no empirical basis supporting sexual orientation change efforts and evidence indicates such practices cause harm. We at the Cummings Center stand firmly with these organizations in opposing sexual orientation change efforts, acknowledging their roots in stigma, prejudice, and hate. Read our full statement, as well as a history of Dr. Cummings’ statements and writings on sexual orientation.

Location, hours and contact

73 South College Street, Akron, OH, 44325-4302

Museum and Institute Hours:

Please note that we will be closed on Friday, July 4 and Saturday, July 5..

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

Wednesday: 1:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Sunday and Monday: Closed

Admission Rates

For additional information on travel, mobility, health and safety, and more, visit our Accessibility page.

Archives: By appointment

Phone: 330-972-7285

Email: ahap@uakron.edu

Parking: A small free parking lot is adjacent to the Cummings Center, on College St. There are also parking meters located along College St. and free visitor parking available in Lot 30 (corner of College and Market streets). UA staff, faculty, and student parking is available in Lot 40, off Mill St.

Please be aware that The University of Akron is in the process of updating its on-campus parking policies. We anticipate that these changes may impact our visitor lots. We are monitoring the situation and will update this information as soon as any changes occur.