Karl Augustus Menninger was born July 22, 1893 in Topeka, KS to Charles Frederick and Florence Vesta Menninger (KWCH, 2011). As a boy, Karl was inspired by his dentist who told him anyone should be honored to work with his father whom was a highly respected doctor. He dreamed about the possibilities he could have working with his father to improve medicine.
It was during his studies at Washburn University, Indiana University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Harvard Medical School that he became fascinated with psychology. This was during the era when most considered psychology a form of pseudo medicine. Menninger completed his medical internship at Boston Psychopathic Hospital.
Karl married Grace Gaines in 1916 and bore her 3 children. In 1919 Menninger and his father founded the Menninger Diagnostic Clinic. With their clinic they planned to build a “community of doctors” (Gaylord, 2011) that would work together to help heal patients. They wanted a patient’s mental health to be considered just as important as their physical health.
Alongside his father they established the Southard School for the mentally retarded, and began a training program for nurses that worked in psychiatry. In 1925, Karl’s brother Will Menninger joined …show more content…
He believed in prevention in three specific areas: prison reform, mental health, and child-care systems. His primary commitment was to those referred to as criminals: the mentally ill, abused, and abandoned children. He truly believed that criminals behavior could be prevented and/or reformed. He had a deep concern for the reasons and conditions that led people to act the ways in which they did. “They must have been terribly traumatized and scarred deeply by the cruelty of other human beings!” (Gillogly). The prevention of child abuse, abandonment and juvenile delinquency as a whole could potentially prevent or intervene in adult
It was during his studies at Washburn University, Indiana University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Harvard Medical School that he became fascinated with psychology. This was during the era when most considered psychology a form of pseudo medicine. Menninger completed his medical internship at Boston Psychopathic Hospital.
Karl married Grace Gaines in 1916 and bore her 3 children. In 1919 Menninger and his father founded the Menninger Diagnostic Clinic. With their clinic they planned to build a “community of doctors” (Gaylord, 2011) that would work together to help heal patients. They wanted a patient’s mental health to be considered just as important as their physical health.
Alongside his father they established the Southard School for the mentally retarded, and began a training program for nurses that worked in psychiatry. In 1925, Karl’s brother Will Menninger joined …show more content…
He believed in prevention in three specific areas: prison reform, mental health, and child-care systems. His primary commitment was to those referred to as criminals: the mentally ill, abused, and abandoned children. He truly believed that criminals behavior could be prevented and/or reformed. He had a deep concern for the reasons and conditions that led people to act the ways in which they did. “They must have been terribly traumatized and scarred deeply by the cruelty of other human beings!” (Gillogly). The prevention of child abuse, abandonment and juvenile delinquency as a whole could potentially prevent or intervene in adult