I find it an ironic and even embarrassing fact that my prior article in this Journal about my planned retirement in June, 2011, was mailed out on the very same day on which, instead, I abruptly announced my permanent retirement on January 1st, 2011. I retired five months earlier than my patients and I had expected, and much earlier if you count the many prior absences that occurred in the Fall of 2010.

This issue brings coverage of the MPS Annual Dinner in April when we bid farewell to Dr. Anita Everett as President of the Society, and welcomed Dr. Andrew Angelino into that role: Congratulations to Dr. Everett on her successful tenure and best wishes to Dr. Angelino for a great year ahead. We also celebrate Dr. Bruce Hershfield’s successful completion of his term as Speaker of the APA Assembly.

 Traumatic Brain Injury, Old and New

 Sixty years ago, the Department of Psychiatry was founded at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Nathan Schnaper was one of the first psychiatrists to join Dr. Jacob Finesinger, the department’s first chair, remaining there for his entire career. Although he retired in 1996, he continued to attend in the cancer center on a part-time basis until about two months before his death on August 23, 2010 at the age of 92. He had been the longest living member of the faculty in the medical school.

 On March 13, 2010 we lost Prof. Eugene Brody.  I first met him when I was starting my residency in July, 1961 at the Psychiatric Institute of the University of Maryland. He had just arrived as Chairman of the Department.  For three years I had a close personal and professional contact with him. To this date I remain thankful for this because much of what makes me a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst I owe to him.

I retire next Memorial Day. I've decided to write about my retirement thoughts, experiences, and even surprises while I’m still seeing my patients. I’ve been seeing all of them in psychodynamic psychotherapy since way before my decision in early May and subsequent announcement of my plans in early June. I have seen some patients weekly for many years now, and of course I have many patients who check in once in a while, some for twenty to thirty years now.

In 2007, when I began researching the history of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, I expected the project might take me two years at most. After all, I had written a history of the NIH Clinical Center, the big research hospital and clinic in Bethesda, in less time than that.

In 1950 an eminent Harvard psychiatrist, Dr. Jacob Finesinger, was recruited to create a full time psychiatry department at The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) in Baltimore. By the time of his death in 1959, Finesinger had built a nationally admired organization. He was succeeded by a series of Chairmen leading to Anthony Lehman, who was appointed Chair in 2000.

 This article is based on Dr. Lehman’s address at the Gala celebrating the 60th anniversary.

 The Department of Psychiatry at University of Maryland celebrated sixty years of its establishment in September 2010. Its accomplishments were highlighted in a day-long program on September 16th that included scientific sessions followed by a gala dinner in the evening.