A Brief History of ICP

   The International Council of Psychologists is an outgrowth of the National Council of Women Psychologists, organized in the USA in 1941 to make the services of women psychologists more readily available to the war effort.

    In 1964, the name was changed to International Council of Women Psychologists.  The cooperation of women psychologists from all nations was enlisted in furthering international understanding and advancing psychology and its applications throughout the world.

    In 1959, membership was opened to all psychologists and the name became International Council of Psychologists.  This expansion gave ICP added strength for work toward its continuing purposes, broadening its range of activities.

    In 1976, the Secretariat was established and a Secretary-General was officially appointed to be in charge of the Secretariat, the office where the permanent files and records are maintained and which takes care of the numerous details of running the sizeable organization.  Until this time, each ICP officer had been responsible for his/her own activities, correspondence and files, which then were passed on to the successor.

    In 1981, ICP was recognized as a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.   Since that time, designated members have represented ICP at meetings and conferences sponsored by the UN Council in New York, Geneva, and Vienna.  Most recently, ICP has been represented at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994, at the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995, and at the 4th World Summit on Women in Beijing in 1995.

    Over the years, Standing Committees on Professional Concerns, and Ad Hoc Committees have been established.  They provide opportunities for members to work together on matters of professional interests.

    Growth and change are bywords of ICP's success as an organization.  Recent new developments include the publication in 1991 of several commemorative volumes to help ICP celebrate its 50th anniversary and, in 1995, the launching of the landmark journal, World Psychology.