Interview of John J. Rooney, Ph.D.

Dr. John J. Rooney was born in 1923 to a working class family in South Philadelphia. He went to primarily Catholic schools and during his childhood, witnessed three World Series from his house. He started attending La Salle University in 1940, majoring in chemistry. During World War II, he left school to join the Navy as a flight instructor. He came back to La Salle and graduated in 1946. From there, he went to Temple University to get a master’s and then Ph.D. in psychology. During this time, he simultaneously went to school, taught first chemistry and then psychology at La Salle, and was director of the counseling program. After receiving his Ph.D., he became a permanent professor at La Salle. He taught classes until 1983, during which time he witnessed many changes in both the school and the psychology department, including a change from commuter to resident students and the introduction of female students. After he retired from teaching, he became the director of the Master’s in counseling program, a position he has maintained up until the present. He has been active in a number of La Salle and professional organizations