Harriet Claire Wadeson Ph.D., LCSW, ATR-BC, HLM (January 9, 1931 – January 26, 2016) was a pioneer in the art therapy profession, as well as an accomplished author, researcher, and educator, who established and directed the Art Therapy Graduate Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Art Therapy Certificate Program at Northwestern University where she taught up to her passing. She was the author of 8 books on art therapy and over 70 articles in professional journals. She was an international guest lecturer, and educator who has presented papers, led professional delegations, and conducted workshops in 14 countries throughout Europe and Asia. Wadeson was an Honorary Life Member (HLM) of the American Art Therapy Association, the profession's highest honor, and won numerous awards, including a first prize for art from the Smithsonian Institution, a Distinguished Faculty award from Northwestern University, a first prize for research from the American Art Therapy Association, the Benjamin Rush Bronze Medal Award from the American Psychiatric Association, and a Resolution of Commendation from the Illinois State Legislature. In addition to holding many offices on the American Art Therapy Association Executive Board, she has been Associate Editor of Art Therapy, Journal of the American Art Therapy Association. Education, training, and career Wadeson graduated from Cornell University, where she studied psychology. She began taking courses at the Washington School of Psychiatry, American University and Catholic University when she met Hanna Kwiatkowska who opened her eyes to a world of art therapy. Kwiatkowska originated family art therapy and offered to train Wadeson at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). At this time, there were no master's degree programs in art therapy. Wadeson began working at NIMH in 1961 by conducting art therapy with adolescent groups. Her first publication was about this experience. For eight years, Wadeson worked with patients with affective disorders, including mania, psychotic depression, and suicide risk. During this time, Wadeson was the only female and non-MD on the project's research team. She won the Benjamin Rush Award for Scientific Exhibits from the American Psychiatric Association for her exhibit, “Portraits of Suicide.” Subsequently, she worked with people who suffered from schizophrenia and received no medication. After spending thirteen years at NIMH, Wadeson had published twenty-nine articles, primarily in psychiatric journals. Wadeson began working on her master's degree in psychology and art therapy from Goddard College. She then pursued her Masters of Social