In Remembrance: Maurice E. Hershenson ’64PhD Died on February 23 2025

View full image

Maurice Eugene Hershenson (Sonny), a beloved family man and esteemed professor of psychology, died on February 23, 2025, at the age of 91.

Maurice Hershenson was the George and Frances Levin Professor of Psychology at Brandeis University for over 40 years and professor emeritus since his retirement in 2009. He was a much-loved teacher and colleague, well known for his work in early childhood development, visual space perception, and visual information processing. Maurice loved to teach, often injecting his lectures with his open-hearted humor, and his research lab was always a place of creativity and inspiration for him and for his students.

During his tenure at Brandeis, Maurice also served as chairman of the psychology department for a term and was a member of the Faculty Senate for a number of years. He published over 40 articles, which were cited over 1,700 times throughout his career right up until his passing. He was also awarded a College of Optometrists Certificate of Appreciation for "outstanding contributions to the science of vision.”

Maurice published three books over the course of his career: The Psychology of Visual Perception (two editions with coauthor Ralph Haber: Holt, Reinhart & Winston), The Moon Illusion (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.), and Visual Space Perception: A Primer (MIT Press). Also, in his early years at Brandeis, he was a “workshop consultant” to the Carnegie Corporation’s Children’s Television Workshop, where he assisted and advised in the pre-production research and development of Sesame Street for PBS.

Maurice began his scholastic career at Brooklyn Tech, then Brooklyn College, beginning as a math major and later switching to psychology after taking an introductory course that sparked his interest. He held a BA in mathematics and an MA in psychology from CUNY Brooklyn College and was later recruited by Yale University where he received his PhD in experimental psychology.

Born in Brooklyn to Harry and Fannie Hershenson, Maurice lived a boy’s storied life of playing neighborhood stickball and basketball and going to Dodgers games.

At the age of 19 he met the love of his life, Amy, who swept him away with her vibrant love of life, and together they created a marriage of over 50 years. Always first on the dance floor, their joy and devotion to each other were an inspiration. They treasured their time together at Brooklyn College and Yale where they developed lifelong friendships with many classmates.

Maurice’s education was briefly interrupted when he was drafted in 1955. He served in the Army as a specialist 3rd class radar operator for antiaircraft 90MM guns from 1955 to 1957. It is important to note that Maurice also marched against the war in Vietnam and along with Amy was politically active throughout his life. After graduate school, and a brief time teaching at the University of Wisconsin, Maurice and Amy moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts, where they raised their two boys and became valued members of the community. They were core members of the Wellesley Players and the Wellesley Children’s Theater, and were patrons of the arts. 

Maurice and Amy were supporters of the Boston Ballet, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Museum of Fine Arts, among many others. Maurice also found time to coach his sons’ soccer teams, play tennis and basketball, and bowl in various town leagues. Also, a (sometimes reluctant) showman, he was a member of Wellesley’s Flat Footed Four, performing “old-time” song and dance for special occasions.

Maurice and Amy valued world culture and loved to travel to Europe and especially to spend time in London with family. It was particularly meaningful when they traveled to China in the late 1980s at a time when the country was first opening up to the western world. For over a month they toured much of the country with a group of educators from the USA. Maurice’s love of the Chinese culture and food continued to be a large part of his life.

Maurice retired early to courageously take care of his beloved wife at home for nearly ten years. After her sad passing he moved to Newbury, Massachusetts, for the remainder of his life with his son and family. Maurice loved sharing family stories, bad dad jokes, and was an avid Red Sox fan (until they traded Mookie Betts!). He loved to listen to Beethoven, watch international ballet, and took Yale online courses on advanced calculus and physics to stay up to date. He could finish the New York Times crossword puzzle at lightning speed, which he did daily.

Maurice was a kind, supportive, devoted, and loving husband, father, and grandfather, a true gentleman, and a dedicated scholar. He will be deeply missed by his entire family, and his many close friends and colleagues.

Maurice leaves behind his children, Gregg and Carrie Hershenson of Newbury, Massachusetts, and Eric and Carol Hershenson of London, England, as well as his treasured grandchildren Chloe, Lincoln, and Turner.

Now Maurice and Amy can dance together forever . . .

Maurice requested a quiet end to his life. Therefore, donations may be made in his name to Kaplan Family Hospice of Danvers, Massachusetts.

—Submitted by the family.