Who is Dr. Jane Morgan Bost?
Within her time on campus (1984-1992), Dr. Jane Bost implemented mental health resources that provided the foundation for our current counseling center.
Despite the importance of mental health as an access and inclusion issue, mental health services are only a recent feature of Southwestern University’s history. The first therapy services offered were called “personal counseling”: This service provided one-on-one sessions in an office in Mood-Bridwell Hall, for students experiencing crises or long-term personal problems. All appointments were led by Dr. Raleigh Pegram, a “teacher-counselor” who was a professor at Southwestern, from 1974-1977. Upon his departure, nonclinical personal counseling was led by the Student Development Staff in the Student Development Center in the Old Field House. This continued for seven years until Dr. Jane Morgan Bost was introduced on campus in 1984.
Dr. Jane Morgan Bost arrived on campus in the fall of 1984 after recently graduating with a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Oklahoma State University. After a several year absence of an on-campus counselor, she filled the position as the second official on-campus therapist. Previously, Dr. Bost had worked as a student therapist at Oklahoma State University. She had also interned at Oklahoma State as a marriage counselor, and at A&M as a student counselor in 1983. Upon her arrival at Southwestern University, Dr. Bost would become an integral part of our mental health services and the first Director of Counseling Services.
Dr. Bost first took up individual clinical counseling for students. The 1984-1985 Student Handbook states that Dr. Bost handled any personal obstacles associated with “maturation and personal development” among students. The reasons for therapy listed are, “emotional problems, poor interpersonal skills, problems with parents, test anxiety, depression, sexual or drug confusion, dating difficulties, or other personal concerns.” Appointments were made with Dr. Bost in the Field House up until the Health Center moved to the McCook Crain building on January 24th, 1989, which is why this entry is located in the Field House.
Dr. Jane Bost also offered student group therapy for various topics depending on the semester. She hosted “personal growth” support groups for every semester with much success. Each group, sometimes more than one each semester, contained 5-10 people. The purpose of these groups was to help students build their problem solving skills and foster a supportive, constructive community. Students led discussions and set self improvement goals with Dr. Bost’s guidance. Later on, Dr. Fred Dooley, a former staff psychologist and Coordinator of Learning Assistance, organized the group in collaboration with Dr. Bost.
Dr. Bost also frequently hosted support groups for eating disorder recovery throughout her career at Southwestern. The first support group began in 1985 called the “Eating Management Group,” which taught students eating wellness. While it ran, students were encouraged to bring their own lunch and to meet with Dr. Jane Bost and Jan Pickett, the campus nurse, in one of the meeting rooms upstairs at the old round Commons behind the Chapel. The next support group advertised was in 1987 in collaboration with Dr. Fred Dooley. Unlike the previous group, this therapy group had a specific focus on bulimia, and continued in 1988-1989.
In addition to introducing more therapies on campus, metaphorically creating space for mental health awareness on campus, Dr. Bost created more literal spaces for mental health as well. In 1985, Dr. Bost introduced the “Decompression Chamber” that was located in the Field House. The Decompression Chamber was a room accessible to all students for de-stressing. Upon entering the chamber, students could access stress management and relaxation tapes during normal business hours. It’s unclear as to how long the Decompression Chamber existed on campus, but it had been planned since Dr. Bost began working on campus.
Dr. Jane Bost should be remembered on cam;pus because she helped pave the way for the development of on-campus counseling resources. Previously, there had been minimal therapy resources, and most counseling wasn’t provided by an official counselor. Dr. Bost created mental and physical space for mental health through group and individual work, and represents the first steps that Southwestern made in considering mental health support services as central to its educational mission.
