Sam Louis Witryol

Sam Witryol, 93, of Storrs, Connecticut died on August 3rd, 2015. Dr. Witryol was a professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut for over 63 years. A native of Syracuse, NY, Dr. Witryol was salutarian at Syracuse University in 1944. In 1949, he earned his doctorate in psychology at Syracuse. He joined the teaching faculty of the UConn psychology department in 1949, where he founded and directed the PhD program in Child and Developmental Psychology. Dr. Witryol also served many years on the Board of Directors of the Covenant Insurance Company in Hartford. He was also a Visiting Professor at Rockefeller University. Dr. Witryol's psychology research studied curiosity, motivation and incentive in children's learning. He served as associate editor of Psychological Reports, and was on editorial boards of other important developmental journals. He was elected fellow of the American Psychological Association and of the Society for Research in Child Development. An avid sports fan, Sam had a women's rowing shell named after him, cheered on the Huskies women's teams in lacrosse, soccer, crew, and baseball teams. He was an enthusiastic fixture at UConn athletic events. Sam was predeceased by his wife, Dell, and is survived by his son, Walter Witryol, and two daughters, Faith Witryol and Amy Witryol. A UConn salute details more of his work: http://today.uconn.edu/2015/08/sam-witryol-emeritus-psychology-professor-dies/ . A memorial service at UConn Hillel will be held on Sunday, September 27, 2015 at 11:45 AM, with gifts to "In memory of Sam L. Witryol, The UConn Foundation, Inc.," 2390 Alumni Drive Unit 3206, Storrs, Connecticut 06269.