Paul IV. Pruyser

E A R L Y Dutch settlers along the eastern seaboard are reputed T ttot Ehave been shrewd enough to guess that Manhattan Island was a bargain at twenty dollars or so. Other Dutchmen who have come to this country later, like our Man of the Month, have succeeded in being a bit more ethical than their forebears but in rivaling their shrewd prognosis of American potetttialities to be explored. Paul Pruyser is a clinical psychologist, now serving as Associate Director of the Department of Education of the Menninger Foundation, the Director being Karl Menninger. All the professional training activities of the Foundation---for psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, social workers, theologians, and others---come under the general administration of this Department. Born in Amsterdam in 1916, Paul Pruyser, like many of his countrymen, was caught by the long wartime situation part way through his education. He was graduated from Avond Gymnasium of Amsterdam in 1946, studied psychology at the University of Amsterdam for the period immediately following; then moved to the United States where his Ph. D. in psychology was awarded by Boston University in 1953. Since his psychological study focused on the clinical side, he did concurrent clinical work, while in the Boston area, at the Boston State Hospital, the Boston Children's Hospital, and the National Veteran~' Epilepsy Center at Framing-

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In 1954 he was invited to become a Senior Clinical Psychologist at Topeka State Hospital in Kansas, and accepted. Just a year or two before that, this hospital, which had previously (Continued on page 66)

66

PASTORAL PSYCHOLOGY MAN OF THE MONTH

charter member of the board of the Society's new journal. He is a Conbeen given a very low rating by the sultant to the Board of Christian EduAmerican Psychiatric Association, had cation of the United Presbyterian entered into an agreement with the Church, and to McCormick Theological Menninger Foundation looking toward Seminary where he has also served as a Menninger advice and help in im- Weyerhaeuser lecturer. He has published fifteen or twenty proving the hospital. Upon Paul articIes on psychological and psychiatric Pruyser's arrival, this happy combination of public and private resources in subiects, ranging from epilepsy to bettering a public institution was in full Kierkegaard and destiny. Although he swing. Since that time, the achieve- has not yet published books, these may ments of the Topeka State Hospital be hoped for in the future. He has colhave become nationally known. The Iaborated with Karl Menninger on the Kansas Governor and legislature still forthcoming volume concerning the need frequent reminders that their in- basic theory of mental illness. Having worked with Paul Pruyser terest and appropriations must be maintained to keep the progress that has for several years, I find my "diagnosis" of him keeps popping up as a been won. In 1956 he was invited to join the kind of Renaissance man brought up to psychology staff of the Menninger date. He has the Renaissance man's Foundation. Here the versatility of his breadth of interest, and an astonishing knowledge and abilities very quickly range of knowledge to support i t - made him, over and above his duties as languages, literature, the sciences, clinical psychologist, research assistant philosophy, and theology. But he is a to Karl Menninger. His success in this, modern man; he pursues a special field and above all in connection with the of knowledge, and a sub-specialty withvital and complex educational activities in that specialty. He uses limitation to of the Foundation, led by degrees to contribute to breadth, and breadth to his present appointment. He is also illuminate concentration. A man who Consultant and Chairman of the Com- has gi.fts--and precise knowledge to mittee on Research of the new Kansas support them--for research, for teaching, and for administration, in any field Neurological Institute. As a clinical psychologist, his field of is rare and much sought after. When a technical research and study is the psy- man with interests and abilities has also chological aspects of neurology, which the wisdom to limit himself, to be conare just about as technical as a psy- cerned with some things in particular, chologist can become. But his interests then the results are likely to mean move all the way through the psycho- something permanent. It is such a comlogical spectrum, at the other end be- bination of versatility and focus that ing a highly knowledgeable concern for Paul Pruyser brings. He works as a the psychology of religion and for the- psychologist in a psychiatric setting. The long-run results o4 his labors are ology as it relates to psychology. likely to be of as much interest to theHe is a member of the American Psychological Association and a Fellow olog2r and to pastoral psychology as of the Kansas Psychological Associa- they are to psychiatry and clinical psytion. He is a member of the Society for chology. - - S E W A R D ~-IILTN ER the Scientific Study o~ Religion, and a (Continued Irom page 6)

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