Who We Are

Our History

Designed to address the broad needs of children, adolescents, and adults with learning challenges, attention disorders, and emotional difficulties, Morrissey Compton Educational Center Inc. (MC) was founded in 1982 in Palo Alto, California by Patricia Morrissey, Ed.D. and Carolyn Compton, Ph.D. Government funding cutbacks were impacting school-based programs at that time, and Pat and Carolyn’s vision was to develop an organization that could provide tutoring, summer school, and diagnostic services for students with learning disabilities.

In 2006, Dr. Brentar became Morrissey Compton’s Executive Director. Today, the staff has grown to more than 20 highly-trained psychologists and educational specialists, and the Center provides a full array of services for children, adolescents, adults, and families, including: diagnosis, treatment, consultations, educational therapy, skills groups, support, executive function coaching, tutoring, and advocacy. In 2011, Morrissey Compton opened a satellite clinic in Half Moon Bay—the first of its kind in that community—to address the significant unmet needs of students on the coast. Due to redevelopment of the Park Boulevard office space in Palo Alto, in which Morrissey Compton had resided for 30 years, the Center moved to Redwood City in May, 2014. We offer full scholarships for our programs, thanks to the support of many donors, in order to serve low-income clients. In 1995, MC was awarded a grant to establish an Endowment Fund to ensure the future of the Center.

After celebrating 40 years of service, in 2023, Morrissey Compton Educational Center Inc. shortened its name to Morrissey Compton. Along with a full rebranding of our logo, and website, and updating our Mission and Vision Statement.