Meredith College Remembers Professor Emeritus Jack Huber

Professor Emeritus Jack Huber, who passed away on October 4, 2017, is remembered by the Meredith College community as someone whose positive impact will long be felt in the lives of his students and the collective campus community.

Huber joined the Meredith faculty in 1974 as chair of the psychology department. He retired in 2011 after more than 30 years of service as a faculty member, coach, and mentor to many.

Huber was a specialist in personality theory and Alfred Adler’s humanistic theory, which emphasizes that everyone, with help, is capable of solving their own problems. He was also interested in encouragement training. In 2010, he completed a book project translating a work on the subject from its original German. The book was published in the United States as Encouragement Makes Good Things Happen. This approach, Huber said, “places an emphasis on what is positive and right with human beings.”

Beyond his scholarly accomplishments, Huber was known for supporting his fellow faculty, but most of all for his encouragement of students. His conversations with students often had a profound effect.

“Jack delighted in talking with students about their interests,” Professor of Psychology Lyn Aubrecht said. “Some of these may have been research projects or internships, a decision to take on another academic major or minor, or some other effort that would lead that person in a significant new direction. Who can imagine the number of important life changes that resulted from these conversations?”

President Jo Allen shared some of the ways in which Huber improved the life of the College.

“From my days as a student to my days as president of Meredith, Dr. Huber has been a staunch ally and advocate for the College, his various programs in psychology and autism, his softball team, and all the students,” said Allen. “On a more personal level, he never shied away from bringing me new ideas or reasons to act, and I counted him among my best advisors. I – and the rest of the College – will miss him deeply.”

As head of the psychology department, Huber made undergraduate research a departmental priority. He co-authored numerous papers with student researchers, many of whom presented their work at conferences. He was one of the co-founders of the Carolinas Psychology Conference, which was held at Meredith for 40 years and is one of the country’s longest running undergraduate psychology conferences. He was also a strong advocate for the Meredith Autism Program, which began during his tenure as department head.

“Jack was a tremendous asset to the College and he made the department better in so many ways,” said Aubrecht.

Huber was also very involved in Meredith’s athletics program, most recently serving as a coach in the softball program. “Dr. Huber touched the lives of all the students, athletes, and staff who knew him,” said Head Softball Coach Kim Scavone. “His love of Meredith and the sport of softball were evident in everything he did.”

Memorial donations can be made to the Meredith Autism Program. Contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at (919) 760-8374 or advancement@meredith.edu for assistance.