Beatrix Hamburg facts for kids

Beatrix A. Hamburg (October 19, 1923 – April 15, 2018) was an American psychiatrist. She made big advancements in helping children and teenagers with their mental health.

Hamburg was a pioneer in many ways. She was the first African-American student to attend Vassar College. She was also the first African-American woman to attend Yale Medical School. Throughout her career, she taught at famous universities like Stanford, Harvard, and Mount Sinai. She also taught at Weill Cornell Medical College.

She was part of the President's Commission on Mental Health under President Jimmy Carter. Hamburg led the William T. Grant Foundation. She also directed the child psychiatry departments at Stanford University and Mount Sinai. She first planned to be a children's doctor, but she became very interested in psychiatry instead. She studied early teenage years, how teens can help each other (peer counseling), and children and teens with diabetes. She was a member of the National Academy of Medicine. She was also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2012, she received a Foremother Award for her many achievements.

Hamburg was married to David A. Hamburg, who was also a doctor focused on mental health. They worked together on many projects.

Early Life

Beatrix Ann McCleary was born on October 19, 1923, in Jacksonville, Florida. Her parents were Minor McCleary and Beatrix Ann Downs. Her father was a surgeon, but he passed away when she was young.

After her father's death, Beatrix and her mother moved to Long Island, New York. They lived with her maternal grandparents. Her widowed mother, who was a school teacher and social worker, raised her with her grandparents. Her grandfather was a Methodist minister, and her grandmother was a homemaker. Her family strongly believed in the importance of education.

Career and Research

Hamburg had a long and important career in medical psychiatry. She worked in the psychiatry departments at Stanford University, Harvard University, and Mount Sinai. She also worked at Icahn School of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medical College.

Most of her work focused on the teenage years. She studied the challenges that young people face as they grow up. In the 1960s and 1970s, she strongly supported peer counseling for teens. She believed that teenagers learn best from advising each other. She thought this was often more helpful than advice from an adult. Teens would help each other with schoolwork, social issues, and mental health. They also helped with volunteer opportunities.

Hamburg and her husband researched how stress affects people. They also studied ways to cope with stress. They looked at many types of stress, from physical problems and depression to poverty and war. In 2004, they wrote a book together called “Learning to Live Together: Preventing Hatred and Violence in Child and Adolescent Development.” This book taught children how to deal with hatred and violence in healthy ways.

Awards and Recognition

Beatrix Hamburg and her husband, David, worked on many projects together. In 2007, they received the Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Award in Mental Health. This award recognized their long careers in medicine and public service. In October 2015, they received the Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health. This prize honored their work in understanding mental health.

In 2012, she received the Foremother Award from the National Center for Health Research. This award recognized her important contributions to the community.

Personal Life

Hamburg met her future husband, David A. Hamburg, in 1948. They were both students at Yale University. David was also a doctor who researched mental health. They got married in 1951.

They had two children. Their son, Eric, became a filmmaker. Their daughter, Margaret Hamburg, became a doctor. Margaret served as the Food and Drug Administration commissioner under President Barack Obama.

Beatrix Hamburg passed away on April 15, 2018, at the age of 94. She died from Alzheimer's disease at her daughter's home.

See also

In Spanish: Beatrix Hamburg para niños