In Memoriam: E. Mavis Hetherington

‘Captivating’ psychology professor inspired generations of students

When psychology professor E. Mavis Hetherington stepped into a lecture hall, students recall, her vivid storytelling, sharp wit, and decades of hands-on research experience kept them rapt, even if there were hundreds in the room.

“She was very erudite and very entertaining at the same time, which is exactly what undergraduates want,” said Mark Crouter (Col ’74 CM), who took two of her introductory courses as an undergraduate.

Hetherington, who taught for nearly 30 years at UVA, died July 21, 2023, at age 96. A leader in the field of child development and psychology, Hetherington was best known for her research on the effects of divorce on children. After stints at Rutgers University and the University of Wisconsin, she joined the UVA faculty in 1970. There, she launched a series of long-term studies following hundreds of families. She edited or co-wrote more than 10 books, including For Better or For Worse: Divorce Reconsidered. A longtime James Page Professor of Psychology, she chaired the department from 1980 to 1984 and retired in 1999 as professor emeritus.

“I just was so spellbound,” said Thomas Oltmanns, now a psychology professor at Washington University in St. Louis, recalling the 1970 introductory class he took with Hetherington at the University of Wisconsin. “I was just sort of awestruck by her. I was planning to study something else, but during the course of the semester I just became so captivated by her lectures and what she was saying about research and psychology that I found myself wanting to take more of it and do more of it.”

Fifteen years later, Oltmanns got to know Hetherington again—this time as a friend and colleague—when he joined her as a psychology professor at UVA. He said he’ll never forget the first time he entered the department. As he was filling out paperwork, his 6-month-old baby, strapped to his back, began “squealing and yapping and talking to somebody.” Oltmanns turned to find Hetherington standing behind him, cooing at the baby.

“That said a lot about her interest in kids,” Oltmanns said. “A lot of really important people would come into the office,” he reflected, “and somebody at her level—one of the most famous psychologists in the country—said, ‘I want to play with the kid.’”

Soon Hetherington was inviting Oltmanns over for meals, introducing him to members of the UVA and Charlottesville communities and even helping his family find child care.

“It was interesting to see this other sort of nurturing side of her,” Oltmanns said. “She was nice and helpful to colleagues, but at the same time, she didn’t take any crap. … She was a force.”

Hetherington earned numerous awards for both teaching and research, including UVA’s Thomas Jefferson Award in 1987 and the American Psychological Association’s Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions in 2004.

Originally from Ocean Falls, British Columbia, Canada, Hetherington received a bachelor’s in English and a master’s in psychology from the University of British Columbia, followed by a doctorate in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.

She was predeceased by her husband, John Hetherington, who served as a law professor at UVA. Survivors include three sons and five grandchildren.

—Sam Grossman