Harvard School of Public Health - Yearbook (Cambridge, MA)

Page 11 text:

Smith, Kline, and French— Philadelphia Museum of Art William Hathaway Forbes A.B., A.M., Dr.Phil, M.D. Assistant to the Dean and Faculty Advisor for Foreign Students Richard Henry Daggy S.B., S.M., Ph.D, M.P.H., Dr.P.H. Assistant Dean for International Programs Front row —Judith Godden, Agnes Murphy, Eileen Thibodeau, Beverly Laskey, Eileen Lynch, Betty Stephens. Second row —Margaret Penrose, Ruth Faulkner, Pamela Burden, Margaret Barnaby, Cynthia Randlett, Judith Grossman. Back row —Gail Stocker, William Claff, John C. Snyder, James Whitten- berger, Richard Daggy.

Page 10 text:

Progress comes when man stops praying or legislating change, and starts looking around.” Mr. William Claff John Crayton Snyder A.B., M.D., LL.D. Dean James Laverre Whittenberger S.B., M.D., A.M., (hon.) Assistant Dean 6

Page 12 text:

What I would like to see ne heartening manifestation of the growing acceptance of the behavioral sciences among public health professionals is that social scientists are called upon less and less to justify themselves. The social sciences are in public health to stay as long as work in this field involves understanding and influencing individual, group and community behavior. It is not an exaggeration to say that much of public health is, in fact, applied social science. The growing collaboration between the two broad disciplines of public health and social sci¬ ence is salutary. I would like to see the profession progress even more and foster the development of a substantial number of public health workers who have training in the behavioral sciences equivalent to that of Ph.D.’s in sociology, social psychology or anthropology. Obviously, the pres¬ ent curriculum of this School is not sufficient nor is it intended for that purpose. It is time to con¬ sider a combined degree in Social Science and Pub¬ lic Health for which both social scientists and pub¬ lic health professionals would be eligible. Our new Department of Behavioral Sciences would be in an excellent position to assume leadership in this area. Although there would be a number of merits in developing this new breed of public health specialist social scientist, there is one special con¬ tribution which I would hope this new profes¬ sional could make. As one who would possess social science acumen and understanding and still be a public health insider,” the new professional, hopefully, would be in a strategic position to in¬ fluence his professional colleagues and the organi¬ zations in which they serve. And this I deem to be especially important since I believe that the habits and culture of professionals and the needs and practices of organizations are often the major impediments to the realization of public health goals. As an activist” society, we tend to view with approval people who are active or are doing things. Even more we often tend to blur activity with doing good. But it is one thing for a pro¬ fession to be practicing its skills and another thing for the profession to be doing good” in helping to achieve larger public health goals. Profes¬ sionals often tend to approach or define prob¬ lems in terms of how they can best employ their own skills, and are less receptive to other skills and approaches which may be alien to them, but which in reality may be more relevant and effec¬ tive. How else, in view of the acknowledged shortage of qualified personnel, can we explain the failure of professionals to work aggressively for the massive deployment of auxiliaries and in¬ digenous workers in a whole range of public health programs? Why did such simple but innovational approaches to alcoholics and drug addicts—Alco¬ holics Anonymous and Synanon—develop outside and, in fact, remain outside of the public health profession? The literature is replete with examples of or¬ ganizations which deviate from their original goals and how major decisions are made in terms of professional convenience and organizational needs, instead of the needs and requirements of the original target population. The public health professional I would like to see developed is one who is steeped in the sociology of the professions and in organizational sociology, who is equipped to recognize and question some of the most fun¬ damental habits and modes of thinking of pro¬ fessionals and who has the skill and imagination to work towards achieving congruity between organizational needs and practices and those of the population requiring help. Sol Levine Sol Levine, A.B., A.M., Ph.D.