William C. Menninger
Encyclopedia
William Claire Menninger (October 15, 1899 – September 1966) was a co-founder with his brother Karl
and his father of The Menninger Foundation
in Topeka, Kansas
, which is an internationally known center for treatment of behavioral disorders.
's Sea Scouts
program in the 1930s. He was skipper of the S.S.S. Kansan, which was the National Flagship for 1931 and 1933. The skipper's manual he wrote for the Kansas Sea Scouts was later used as the basis for the BSA's published Handbook for Skippers. He was also be a member of the National Sea Scout Committee during this time. All three of his sons, Roy W. Menninger
, Philip B. Menninger, and W. Walter Menninger
are Eagle Scouts
and recipients of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
.
in 1919 and entered the Cornell University College of Medicine, graduating in 1924. He married Catherine Wright on December. 11, 1925. After completing a two-year internship at Bellvue Hospital
, he studied psychiatry at St. Elizabeths Hospital
in Washington, D.C.
in 1927.
, he left the Menninger Foundation to become the Director of the Psychiatry Consultants Division in the office of the Surgeon General of the United States Army. He chaired the committee which produced document "Medical 203", a major revision of existing US classification of mental disorders
. It was adopted by all the armed services and, following the war, had a substantial influence on the first mental disorders section of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases published in 1949 and, even more so, on the first Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
published in 1952. Menninger attained the rank of Brigadier General
(O-7) in the U.S. Army.
Karl Menninger
Karl Augustus Menninger , was an American psychiatrist and a member of the famous Menninger family of psychiatrists who founded the Menninger Foundation and the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas.- Biography :...
and his father of The Menninger Foundation
Menninger Foundation
The Menninger Foundation was founded in 1919 by the Menninger family in Topeka, Kansas, and consists of a clinic, a sanatorium, and a school of psychiatry, all of which bear the Menninger name. In 2003, the Menninger Clinic moved to Houston. The foundation was started by Drs. Karl, Will, and...
in Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, which is an internationally known center for treatment of behavioral disorders.
Boy Scouts
Menninger was involved with the Boy Scouts of AmericaBoy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
's Sea Scouts
Sea Scouts (Boy Scouts of America)
Sea Scouting is a part of the Venturing program that the Boy Scouts of America offers for young men and women. Along with Cub Scouting for younger boys and Boy Scouting for older boys, Venturing and Sea Scouting provide a program for religious, fraternal, educational, and other community...
program in the 1930s. He was skipper of the S.S.S. Kansan, which was the National Flagship for 1931 and 1933. The skipper's manual he wrote for the Kansas Sea Scouts was later used as the basis for the BSA's published Handbook for Skippers. He was also be a member of the National Sea Scout Committee during this time. All three of his sons, Roy W. Menninger
Roy W. Menninger
Roy Wright Menninger, MD is the third generation of one of America’s leading medical families.Roy's grandfather, father and uncle established the Menninger Foundation in 1925 in Topeka, Kansas...
, Philip B. Menninger, and W. Walter Menninger
W. Walter Menninger
William Walter Menninger, MD, known by his peers as "Dr. Walt", is the third generation of one of America’s leading medical families.Walt attended Stanford University where he was a brother of Alpha Phi Omega and graduated in 1953....
are Eagle Scouts
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
and recipients of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America . It is awarded to an Eagle Scout for distinguished service in his profession and to his community for a period of at least 25 years after attaining the level of Eagle Scout...
.
Family
Menninger was born in Topeka, Kansas. He graduated from Washburn UniversityWashburn University
Washburn University is a co-educational, public institution of higher learning in Topeka, Kansas, USA. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,400 undergraduate students and...
in 1919 and entered the Cornell University College of Medicine, graduating in 1924. He married Catherine Wright on December. 11, 1925. After completing a two-year internship at Bellvue Hospital
Bellevue Hospital Center
Bellevue Hospital Center, most often referred to as "Bellevue", was founded on March 31, 1736 and is the oldest public hospital in the United States. Located on First Avenue in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, Bellevue is famous from many literary, film and television...
, he studied psychiatry at St. Elizabeths Hospital
St. Elizabeths Hospital
St. Elizabeths Hospital is a psychiatric hospital operated by the District of Columbia Department of Mental Health. It was the first large-scale, federally-run psychiatric hospital in the United States. Housing several thousand patients at its peak, St. Elizabeths had a fully functioning...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1927.
Psychiatry
That same year, Menninger returned to Topeka and joined his father and older brother, Karl, in their medical practice, which by that time had already begun to specialize in psychiatry. With his contributions, the Menninger Clinic evolved into the Menninger Sanitarium, and eventually into the Menninger Foundation, a non-profit organization which provided not only clinical services to in- and out-patients, but also engaged in research, education, and social outreach.Second World War
At the outset of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he left the Menninger Foundation to become the Director of the Psychiatry Consultants Division in the office of the Surgeon General of the United States Army. He chaired the committee which produced document "Medical 203", a major revision of existing US classification of mental disorders
Classification of mental disorders
The classification of mental disorders, also known as psychiatric nosology or taxonomy, is a key aspect of psychiatry and other mental health professions and an important issue for consumers and providers of mental health services...
. It was adopted by all the armed services and, following the war, had a substantial influence on the first mental disorders section of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases published in 1949 and, even more so, on the first Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is published by the American Psychiatric Association and provides a common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders...
published in 1952. Menninger attained the rank of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
(O-7) in the U.S. Army.
Secondary literature
- Rebecca Jo Plant, "William Menninger and American psychoanalysis, 1946–48", History of Psychiatry, Vol. 16, No. 2, 181-202 (2005)
External links
- William C Menninger In the Menninger Family Archives from Kansas State Historical Society.
- Reproduction of 1943 War Department Technical Bulletin: Medical 203 from the Journal of Clinical Psychology. Original reproduction in the journal (JCLP, 1946) was "by courtesy of Brigadier General William C. Menninger, Office of the Surgeon General, Army Service Forces, Washington, D.C."