Lester Grinspoon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lester Grinspoon
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| Born | June 24, 1928 |
| Died | June 25, 2020 (aged 92) Newton, Massachusetts, US
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| Children | 4, including David and Peter |
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| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Harvard Medical School |
Lester Grinspoon (June 24, 1928 – June 25, 2020) was an American psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is a doctor who helps people with their mental health. Dr. Grinspoon was a professor at Harvard Medical School for many years. He also worked as a senior psychiatrist at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center in Boston, Massachusetts, for 40 years. He was a respected member of important science and psychiatry groups. He also helped start and edit important medical journals, like The American Psychiatric Association Annual Review and Harvard Mental Health Letter.
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About Lester Grinspoon
His Early Life and Family
Lester Grinspoon was born on June 24, 1928, in Newton, Massachusetts. His parents were Sally and Simon Grinspoon. His family came from Russia. He went to Tufts University and then to Harvard Medical School to become a doctor.
Dr. Grinspoon was married and had four children. Two of his children are also well-known. His son David Grinspoon studies space and planets. His son Peter Grinspoon is a doctor and writer. Sadly, his oldest son passed away from cancer when he was 15 years old. Dr. Grinspoon himself shared in 2011 that he had cancer. He was good friends with Carl Sagan, a famous scientist who taught at Harvard.
Lester Grinspoon passed away in Newton on June 25, 2020. This was just one day after his 92nd birthday.
His Important Work
Dr. Grinspoon had a very successful career. He did important research on schizophrenia, which is a mental health condition. He also wrote many books and articles. He held leadership roles at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center and other well-known places.
His colleagues, Ming Tsuang and Joseph Coyle, said that Dr. Grinspoon was very good at bringing together the work of other scientists. He helped make complex ideas easier to understand.
Lester Grinspoon in Media
Dr. Grinspoon appeared on TV shows and in documentaries. He was on an episode of the Showtime series Penn & Teller: ...!. He also appeared in a Canadian documentary called The Union: The Business Behind Getting High. An Australian rock band liked his name so much that they named their band Grinspoon after him!
