Remembering Joe Rosenfeld
Pamela Fenning
Remembering Joe Rosenfeld
Tom Fagan
Professor Emeritus
University of Memphis
The recent announcements and obituary for Joe Rosenfeld did not contain much information about his professional career, so I am taking this opportunity to share some of that and give Joe a little “professional afterlife” he earned.
Joseph Gerald Rosenfeld was born on December 27, 1933, and died on August 14, 2024, at age 90. He received his BA in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1955; his MA in 1956 and PhD in 1961 at Temple University’s APA approved clinical psychology program. He was a long-time faculty member to the School Psychology program at Temple, with his first faculty appointment there in 1967. He had previously worked as a visiting professor connected to its practicum and had clinical and consulting appointments to several agencies including The Woods Schools, Montgomery County Schools, Haverford Township, the Veteran’s Administration, the NJ State Hospital and was a previous psychology intern to the Child Psychiatry Clinic at St. Christophers’ Hospital in Philadelphia.
Joe was truly a Philadelphia and Temple University advocate and professional of considerable repute. He directed the Temple school psychology program from 1986 till his retirement (I think in 2008). His career with the program in the Department of Psychological Studies in Education was shared with other early faculty such as Irwin Hyman, Ralph Blanco and later with Cathy Fiorello, and Frank Farley. The NASP Directory of Training (1998) listed 7 faculty in that program which was a large group compared to most other programs. The program held full approvals from NASP and APA.
He held memberships in NASP, APA, the Pennsylvania Psychological Association (President 1987-1988), and the Philadelphia Society of Clinical Psychologists. He contributed to our literature when such activity was less expected, publishing in Psychology in the Schools, and a book with Ralph Blanco, Case Studies in Clinical and School Psychology.
He held practice credentials from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychologist Examiners and was a diplomate in clinical psychology.
He loved to teach the legal-ethical aspects of the field and for many years took his students to the state capitol to visit legislators and observe the legislative process. I don’t know any other faculty that did this. He was a friend and great contributor to the field and among many others that started in clinical and related fields to help develop what we know as the specialty of school psychology. He wanted to work with children and families and knew the schools were a strategic place to be. He balanced his politics between APA and NASP, as well as doctoral and non-doctoral preparation. He had support and friends on both sides of the fence.
Joe was well-liked and had a great sense of humor. I will miss those days at the CDSPP meetings in Deerfield Beach, FL. He often brought his wife Barbara to these meetings. Joe and the Temple program populated numerous school districts, other training programs, and agencies in Pennsylvania and many surrounding states. The field will miss another of its pioneers.
Joseph G. Rosenfeld