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Albert J. Solnit, M.D. (1919–2002)

A native Californian, Al Solnit, M.D., moved to Yale University in 1948 after completing his pediatric training; at Yale, he completed his psychiatry training and became the first trainee in child psychiatry. His subsequent career included a professorship at Yale, chairmanship of the Child Study Center, and, upon his "retirement" from Yale, 8 years as commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. As the third director of the Child Study Center, Dr. Solnit recruited the next generation of leaders in the field of child psychiatry. Trained in psychoanalysis, Dr. Solnit was a superb clinician and educator. His interest in child custody work led to a long collaboration with Anna Freud and Joseph Goldstein of Yale Law School and a series of publications related to child custody (1–3). Their work repeatedly emphasized the importance of a child-centered approach to custody as well as pediatric consultations. He repeatedly emphasized the importance of taking the child’s needs and sense of time into account. Their first book (1) has been cited in more than 1,000 appeals.

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Figure 1.

During his formal retirement, Dr. Solnit remained an active and vigorous clinician, seeing two patients at his office at the university before his trip to Hartford and his return to New Haven at the end of the day to see more patients and supervise residents and fellows. A consummate mentor, Dr. Solnit was a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and served as president each of the following: the American Psychoanalytic Association, the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions, the Association for Child Psychoanalysis, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Footnotes

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Volkmar, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Rd., P.O. Box 207900, New Haven, CT 06520; fred.volkmar{at}yale.edu (e-mail). Photo by Michael Marsland, Yale University; used with permission.

References

1. Goldstein J, Freud A, Solnit AJ, Burlingham D: Beyond the Best Interests of the Child. New York, Free Press, 1973
2. Goldstein J, Freud A, Solnit AJ: Before the Best Interests of the Child. New York, Free Press, 1979
3. Goldstein J, Freud A, Solnit AJ, Goldstein S: In the Best Interests of the Child. New York, Free Press, 1986

Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Email this article to a Colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Articles & Searches Download to citation manager Citing Articles via Google Scholar Articles by Volkmar, F. R. Articles by Schowalter, J. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Citation Articles by Volkmar, F. R. Articles by Schowalter, J. E. Child/Adolescent Psychiatry Psychiatry: Humanities, Arts, History

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