Robert Jay Lifton, M.D.
from the Class of 1948 yearbook, page 78
Dr. Robert Jay Lifton, M.D. (born 1926), is a leading voice in the field of psychohistory. He studied psychiatry at the New York Medical College, later winning awards for his work studying the psychiatry surrounding extreme historic events
Birth: May 16, 1926, Brooklyn, New York
Education:
At New York Medical College:
Robert Jay Lifton, M.D. (born 1946) is a celebrated psychiatrist whose work in psychiatry, psychohistory, and political action has been awarded many times. Through his extensive scholarship and work, he has authored many notable books and taught at many prestigious institutions.
Born in Brooklyn, Dr. Lifton started his undergraduate education at Cornell University in 1942. Through the accelerated schedule of education due to World War II, he was admitted to and began studying at the New York Medical College in 1944 at the age of 18. He was quickly drawn to pursue a specialty in Psychiatry, desiring to focus on the more humane aspects of the field rather than the technical ones. Dr. Lifton stated that his first realization of interest in this approach to psychiatry was through participation in a kind of club for students of New York Medical College that had identified an interest in psychiatry early in their education. Through this lens of psychiatry, he became a leading scholar and practitioner of psychohistory.
After graduating with his M.D in 1948, Dr. Lifton underwent his internship at jewish Hospital in Brooklyn and then completed his psychiatry residency at the Downstate Medical Center of the State University of New York in 1951. He later served as a psychiatrist in the Air Force, stationed first in Japan then in Korea.
Upon visiting Hiroshima in 1962, Dr. Lifton identified a significant gap in psychiatric research regarding the survivors of the atomic blast. He realized that no systematic study had ever been performed to evaluate the psychological effects regarding survivors of the atomic blast. He continued to study psychology and behavior in relevance to extreme historical events including the holocaust and the Vietnam war.
Dr. Lifton was a noted political activist, with actions including testifying before the United States Senate regarding the brutal treatment and experiences of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam. He also wrote several books on the topic of psychohistory and war crimes, including Death in Life: Survivors of Hiroshima which won the National Book Award in the Sciences in 19691. He later worked in research and education, assuming the role of professor at Yale University, Harvard University, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the Washington School of Psychiatry, Columbia University, and the City University of New York.
1. Lifton, R. J. (1991). Death in life: Survivors of Hiroshima. Univ of North Carolina Press.
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