Morton W. Weir, born July 18, 1934, in Canton, Illinois, is an experimental psychologist and academic. After earning a BA from Knox College and an MA and PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, he joined the department of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1960 and subsequently served in a number of administrative capacities, retiring from the chancellorship in 1993.

Weir graduated cum laude from Knox College in 1955 as a pre-medicine major.^[1] In 1958, he received an M.A. in experimental psychology from University of Texas at Austin^[2] and his Ph.D. a year later in the same field.^[3][1]

Weir was a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for 33 years.^[1] In addition, he served there as head of the department of psychology, as vice chancellor for academic affairs, vice president for academic affairs, interim chancellor, and chancellor.^[4] On leave from the University of Illinois, he served as director of the Center for the Study of Youth Development, Boys Town, Nebraska (1979-80) and after retirement from administration at the University of Illinois, served as interim president of Knox College (1998-99) and as senior foundation representative, University of Illinois Foundation (1993-2000). His research and scholarship included learning and problem solving with children, behavioral genetics, and social policy. He served on a number of editorial boards of scientific journals; the National Research and Evaluation Advisory Committee, Project Head Start; the Developmental Behavioral Sciences Study Section, National Institutes of Health; commissioner and president, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; and on a number of other professional boards and committees. He was awarded an Alumni Achievement Award and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Knox College; the Reading Recovery Teacher Leader Award; the William Winter Award for Service by the University of Illinois Foundation and a Foreign Service Award from the Foreign Ministry of Japan.