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ALBERT DEUTSCH
ALBERT DEUTSCH
Albert Deutsch died in his sleep while in London for a meeting of the World Federation of Mental Health on June 24, 1961. He was at that time in his early fifties. In him we lost a man who was in many ways to our generation what figures like Pinel and Dorothea Dix were to earlier generations. It is rare indeed that a man from outside the field of child psychiatry can become so much a part of it. Al Deutsch not only became a trusted part of us, but he also established a new dimension in our field. We, as doctors, are trained to write prescriptions, not to fill them. He started by crusading in his inimitable perspective, effective and creative writing, and our prescriptions for changes and services needed he filled. He went on then to write, with our blessing, the prescriptions which we did not dare to write, and he got those filled too. Single-handed his writings shamed the State of Nevada, the only state which did not have services for dependent children into establishing them. He was almost jailed for some of his vigorous journalistic attacks on "the foolish consistency [which] is the hobgoblin of little minds." A Congressional committee demanded that he reveal the names of his informants and voted him in contempt, but later backed down. Many of his suggestions for changes were adopted. Because he was interested in progress, he killed many stories and exposes on the assurance that abuses would be corrected. He was not afraid of the holiest of institutions, and his "famed verbal brawls," as Time magazine called them, with the A.M.A. and national health agencies are legend. His books, including The Mentally III in America) The Shame of the States, and Our Rejected Children, are in the libraries of most of our training centers. He was awarded The Lasker Press Award, The Polk Memorial Award in Journalism, The Heywood Braun Award Citation, and The Adolph Meyer Memorial Award, among others, for his work as "a power in U.S. medical journalism." He was invited to honorary or special membership in some of our national psychiatric societies. This token recognition could not adequately reflect the affection, closeness, and dependence this tower of strength produced in us as individuals and professional groups. He was an ally and a helpful, benevolent critic. There is scarcely one of us in child psychiatry whose professional 203
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A lbert Deutsch
life has not been touched by Al Deutsch. His death cannot stop all the progress that resulted from his fearless, forceful journalism which was often used in behalf of the needs and rights of children and families as well as their mental health and treatment. He was a sweet and gentle giant who used his great and powerful pen to carry out the mission dictated by his incisive mind, his love for mankind, and his fierce sense of justice. An Albert Deutsch Memorial Foundation, with offices at 1130 Dupont Circle Building, Washington 6, D.C., has been established in his memory. The following excerpts from a letter circularized concerning the Foundation describes its purposes. Two definite projects are: (1) Albert Deutsch Annual Award to that individual in mass media (press, radio, television, etc.) who does significant journalistic work in the field of mental health or social welfare, in the spirit of courageous integrity so characteristic of Albert; (2) The publication of a Memorial Volume of many of Albert's outstanding articles and talks. Other projects under consideration include: (1) A biography of Albert (for which we would be grateful for items of noteworthy personal experiences with him and the loan of any correspondence you may have from him which might contain suitable material which his biographer may find useful); (2) If funds permit, a program of scholarships, fellowships, grants, and loans to deserving individuals in the field of mental health or social welfare. REGINALD LOURIE
Albert Deutsch died in his sleep while in London for a meeting of the World Federation of Mental Health on June 24, 1961. He was at that time in his early fifties. In him we lost a man who was in many ways to our generation what figures like Pinel and Dorothea Dix were to earlier generations. It is rare indeed that a man from outside the field of child psychiatry can become so much a part of it. Al Deutsch not only became a trusted part of us, but he also established a new dimension in our field. We, as doctors, are trained to write prescriptions, not to fill them. He started by crusading in his inimitable perspective, effective and creative writing, and our prescriptions for changes and services needed he filled. He went on then to write, with our blessing, the prescriptions which we did not dare to write, and he got those filled too. Single-handed his writings shamed the State of Nevada, the only state which did not have services for dependent children into establishing them. He was almost jailed for some of his vigorous journalistic attacks on "the foolish consistency [which] is the hobgoblin of little minds." A Congressional committee demanded that he reveal the names of his informants and voted him in contempt, but later backed down. Many of his suggestions for changes were adopted. Because he was interested in progress, he killed many stories and exposes on the assurance that abuses would be corrected. He was not afraid of the holiest of institutions, and his "famed verbal brawls," as Time magazine called them, with the A.M.A. and national health agencies are legend. His books, including The Mentally III in America) The Shame of the States, and Our Rejected Children, are in the libraries of most of our training centers. He was awarded The Lasker Press Award, The Polk Memorial Award in Journalism, The Heywood Braun Award Citation, and The Adolph Meyer Memorial Award, among others, for his work as "a power in U.S. medical journalism." He was invited to honorary or special membership in some of our national psychiatric societies. This token recognition could not adequately reflect the affection, closeness, and dependence this tower of strength produced in us as individuals and professional groups. He was an ally and a helpful, benevolent critic. There is scarcely one of us in child psychiatry whose professional 203
204
A lbert Deutsch
life has not been touched by Al Deutsch. His death cannot stop all the progress that resulted from his fearless, forceful journalism which was often used in behalf of the needs and rights of children and families as well as their mental health and treatment. He was a sweet and gentle giant who used his great and powerful pen to carry out the mission dictated by his incisive mind, his love for mankind, and his fierce sense of justice. An Albert Deutsch Memorial Foundation, with offices at 1130 Dupont Circle Building, Washington 6, D.C., has been established in his memory. The following excerpts from a letter circularized concerning the Foundation describes its purposes. Two definite projects are: (1) Albert Deutsch Annual Award to that individual in mass media (press, radio, television, etc.) who does significant journalistic work in the field of mental health or social welfare, in the spirit of courageous integrity so characteristic of Albert; (2) The publication of a Memorial Volume of many of Albert's outstanding articles and talks. Other projects under consideration include: (1) A biography of Albert (for which we would be grateful for items of noteworthy personal experiences with him and the loan of any correspondence you may have from him which might contain suitable material which his biographer may find useful); (2) If funds permit, a program of scholarships, fellowships, grants, and loans to deserving individuals in the field of mental health or social welfare. REGINALD LOURIE