Donald Dennis Lisenby
Donald Dennis (“Denny”) Lisenby, Ph.D., was instrumental in developing the Department of Psychological Sciences and LGBT education and advocacy at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. He died at his St. Louis home on Monday, Feb. 23, at the age of 78. Prior to his appointment as one of UMSL’s first psychologists in 1964, Lisenby received an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a doctorate in experimental psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. Lisenby shared a group office in the old Country Club Building with some of UMSL’s earliest faculty members, including John Boswell, Lyle Dorsett, Lyman Sargent and Blanche Touhill, who remembers Lisenby as an exceptional teacher who cared very much about his students.
Throughout his long career at UMSL, Lisenby taught thousands of students through courses in introductory psychology, child and adolescent development, and psychopharmacology. Remembered for his stimulating and challenging lectures and exams, Lisenby also served on a large number of thesis and dissertation committees. Graduate students viewed first with dread and then with pride (if they passed, of course) the oral final exam for his doctoral psychopharmacology course. Lisenby’s office door was always open, and he provided support and mentoring to numerous students. As associate chair for many years, he made significant contributions to the undergraduate program and managed with diplomacy and humor the many details of course scheduling. He was a strong promoter of excellence in undergraduate education, and he won university and alumni awards for his work in the classroom, in the mentoring of students and in service to the department.
Lisenby was a key faculty advisor for the first LGBT organization at UMSL – Gays & Lesbians Out in the World (GLOW) – which was renamed the UMSL Lesbian and Gay Campus Organization (LG-CO) before later evolving into PRIZM. Along with faculty and student colleagues, he advocated at the campus and University of Missouri System level for inclusion of sexual orientation in non-discrimination policies and met with Missouri state legislators to promote LGBT-affirmative laws. As a contributor to the St. Louis Lesbian & Gay Anti-Violence Project, he trained student volunteers for the telephone hotline and was instrumental in providing science-based and practical education on sexual orientation and affirmative practices. The professionals he taught ranged from nursing students and psychiatry residents from local medical schools to the St. Louis City Police Department. He also volunteered at St. Louis Effort for AIDS in the late ’80s as a Buddy Group Leader and trainer of buddy volunteers.
After his retirement from UMSL in 1999, and as his earlier interests in cycling and hiking changed, Lisenby’s friends continued to benefit from his entertaining conversation, mischievous sense of humor and his skill in selecting wine and crafting the perfect cocktail. An accomplished classical pianist and audiophile with widespread musical tastes, he enjoyed both “low-food” and gourmet cooking, etymology, and seemed to know something substantive about almost everything. He stayed connected with faculty colleagues through social gatherings and the UMSL Neuroscience Reading Group. Lisenby is survived by his sister, Nancy Tedrick of Danville, Ill., his nephews, Stephen Goelz, Peachtree City, Ga., and Jeffrey Goelz of Aspen, Colo., several great nephews, many close friends on and off campus, and his beloved cat, Boogie. A memorial gathering will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 11, in the Chapel at St. Louis Cremation, with a remembrance at 3:30 p.m. Donations in Lisenby’s name may be made to Stray Rescue or a charity of choice.
I fondly remember our collaboration on each semester’s course schedule in the Psych dept at UMSL. Also visiting your house one evening, many years ago, another good memory.
RIP, Denny.
I have a really heavy heart today. I lost a good friend, Denny. We only met a few years ago. I did some work for him and we became fast friends. He knew my partner John, long before I did and we developed a quick friendship after that. Since our first business meeting, working for Denny never seemed like work. He liked to supervise me, it was his excuse to talk and tell me wild stories of his earlier years. I was just with him a few days ago and as I left he asked me to get him soda and ice cream. I’m glad he indulged himself with guilty pleasures, spoiled himself with his love of music and pampered his cat Boogey with a love many animals never experience. Denny, the world lost an amazing, intelligent and one of a kind guy. You will be missed. See ya on the flip side my friend. Thanks for our brief, but one of a kind friendship. I’ll miss seeing you.
Before the years separated us, I remember Denny as always a fun guy to hang around with. The fun we had! He had a unique personality and was very intelligent. He was always there if I or others needed advice or just a shoulder to lead on. His passing is a loss to many.
Denny really was one of a kind. I met him about 25 years ago and to say he was unique or eccentric would be understatements! He loved wine, art, music, theater and dinner with friends. He was generous to a fault and could be counted on to be there anytime you needed him. Denny was there for me when I needed him the most and he never passed judgement. He helped me when life threw a lot of things my way that I was emotionally incapable of getting through alone. He’ll never know how much I appreciated his friendship, guidance and support. Rest In Peace my friend.
Goodbye, my cousin. You tried to teach me the piano—–I just did not have your talents. I miss you already.
Ah Denny, I remember all those days sitting on the back porch of Stadler Hall “riding the dirt train”, gossiping about what was going on in the department. You are among my fondest memories of UMSL and my time there. So smart, always in the know, so kind to me.
Oh, Denny. I am so sad. You were a great professor – remember the “naso-pharyngeal princess”? Most everything I know about psychopharmacology came from your great foundational course. After Topper and I moved from St. Louis to Philadelphia in 1984, we kept in touch. We talked on the phone on my day off – Thursday. You called it “Housewife’s Day.” I’m happy that you were able to do great and heroic work even after your retirement. You were one in a million, my friend.
Dr. Lisenby was my advisor and mentor as we battled the pioneer days at UMSL. He was a brilliant teacher and totally devoted to his students. He always had time to talk. I became a psychologist because of his enthusiasm.
I was a faculty member with Denny from ’67-’71 and last saw him on a visit back in ’84. He was one of my favorite colleagues, funny, gentle, caring and smart. He just popped into mind this morning. I’m so glad to read of his contributions to the development of a gender/sexuality open environment at UMSL. It was far from that in the beginning.
I’ve been thinking of my U of I classmate lately — I do that when people I used to know are passing. I didn’t keep in touch with him and haven’t seen him since 1956. On seeing the picture I’m sure this is the Denny I knew.