I

NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE

1129 VERMONT AVENUE, N. W., WASHINGTON 5, I). C. o REpublic 7-4398

Chairman: MRS. ALBERT D. LASKER

Executive Director: MIKE GORMAN

HONORARY CHAIRMEN

Hon. Sherman Adams
Assistant to The President
Hon. Douglas McKay
Secretary of the Interior

Hon. Val Peterson
Administrator. Federal
Civil Defeiine

Hon. Adlai E. Stevenson
Hon. Gordon Persons
Goveriror of Alabama
Hon. Howard Pyle
Goveruor of Arizoiia
Hon. Francis Cherry

Goveruor of Arkairsan
Hon. Goodwin J. Knight
Goveriror of California

Hon. Dan Thornton
Goverrior of Colorado
Hon. John Lodge
Goveriior of Coiruecticut
Hon. J. Caleh Boggs
Goveriior of Delaware
Hun. Luther W. Youngdahl
Judge. District of Columbio
Hon. Charley E. Johns
Actiiiy Goveruor of Florida

Hon. Herman E. Talmadge
Goveriior of Georgia
Hon. William G. Stratton

Couertror of Illiuois
Hon. Geoize N. Craig
Gover ir or of I II die ii u

Hon. William S. Beardsley
Goveriior of Iowa
Hon. Edward F. Am
Goueriior of Kcitsas

Hon. Lawrence Wetherby
Coueriror of Keirtucky
Hon. Charles P. Farnsley

Former iMn?ior of Louisvills, Ky.
Hon. Robert F. Kennon
Goveriror of Louisio iiu
Hon. Burton M. Cross
Goveruor of Maiire
Hon. Theodore R. McKeldin
Goaeriror of Mrcr?ilniid
Hun. Christian A. Herter
Goverrror of Mccssnchicaetts
Hon. G. Mennen Williams
Goveriror of Michignir
Hon. C. Elmer Anderson
Goverrtor of Mi>r)resota
Hun. Hugh White
Goverrror of Mississipiii

Hon. J. Hugo Aronson
Goreriior of Moiiteiin
Hon. Robert B. Cimby
Govcriior of Neb,nslin
Hun. Charles H. Russell
Goveriror of Nevsdn

Hun. Hugh Gregg
Goveritor of New Ifilmlishire
Hon. Robevt U. Mesne!.
(hueriior of New Jerweii
Hon. William B. Umstead
(;overtror of ilorth Coroliirn
Hon. C. Norman Ui~tnsdalc

Hun. Johnston Murray
(;07ieriror of Oldn h om11
Hun. Paul L. Patterson
(;orel~iror of orl?</oII
Hon. John S. Fine
Goverr,or of Per, >,.s~~lvuuiii
Hon. Dennis J. Roberts
(;overtior of Xhode Islrriid
Hun. Siaurd Andciwn
(;otv?rrior of South Dakotn
Hon. Frank G. Clement
(;OIJC~UO~ of Terirrexsee
Hun. Lee E. Emerson
f;or.eriror of Vermoilt
Him. John S. Battle
Former Goveruor of Virginin
Hon. Arthur B. I.analie
Gover.iior of Wmhingio~
Him. William C. Marland
(;oieriror of West Viy<jiuiic
Hm. Walter J. Kohler. JI..
(;oi.eriior of H'isco,,.siu
Hun. C. J. Roncvs

Gove,.~ror of North Dnlhtn

i.erii or of Wiio m iijg

19 November 1954

Mrs. Albert D, Lasker
The La sker Foundat 5, on
3313 Chrysler Building
New York 17, New York

Dear Mrs. Lasker:

On July 27th I sent you a brief report on the Southern
Regional Conference on Mental Health Training and Re-
search held in Atlanta, July 21st to 24th.  At that time,
I pointed out that 170 official delegates from 16 states
had adopted a series of sweeping recommendations for a
new attack upon mental illness in the South.  According
to Dr. Nicholas Hobbs, director of the mental health
project, these recommendations were the end result of
intensive work by more than 2,000 professional and lay
people in the Southern area.

Things have been moving at a breakneck speed since then.
At a Legislative Work Conference in Houston on September
16th, key legislators from the Southern States not only
enthusiastically endorsed the major training and research
recommendations, but requested legislative participation
in any organization set up to achieve the Atlanta
objectives.

The climax was reached at the Southern Governors' Con-
ference at Boca Raton, Florida November 11-13th. The
Chief Executives of the 16 member states voted to es-
tBblish a Regional Council on Mental Health Training and
Research financed by an annual contribution of 48,000
from each participating state,  The Council will employ
a highly qualified technical staff to further the 14
specific training and research objectives listed by the
Governors.
legislative appropriations for mental health research
md training; regional compacts and arrangements for both
the training of professional personnel and the develop-
ment of regional mental health research centers; training
and research fellowships, either at the state or regional
level, and the organization of regional conferences to
stimulate interest in mental health research and train-
ing among key legislators and citizens.

The major objectives include increased state

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Hon. Sidney S. McMath


Chief Justice Earl Warren

Former Governor of Arkansas

United States Supreme Court and

Former Governor of California

Former Governor of Delaware

Former Governor of Florida

Former Governor of Indiana

Hon. Elbert N. Carve1


Hon. Fuller Warren

Hon. Henry F. Schricker

Spafford Ackerly, M.D.
Mrs. H. R. Aldredge
Chester Alter, Ph.D.
Mrs. Max Ascoli
Edward L. Bernays
Barry Bingham
Karl Bowman, M.D.
Francis J. Braceland, M.D.
Henry W. Brosin, M.D.
Arthur Bunker
Melvin A. Casberg, M.D.
Mrs. Bennett Cerf
Bennett Cerf
David Crockett
R. W. Cumley, Ph.D.
Albert Deutsch
Franklin G. Ebaugh, M.D.
Mrs. Winthrop Emmet
0. Spurgeon English, M.D.
Jack Ewalt, M.D.
Jacob Finesinger, M.D.
Emerson Foote
Mrs. Allmon Fordyce
Edwin Gildea, M.D.
Margaret C.- L. Gildea, M.D.

Hon. Earl K. Long

Former Governor of Louisiana

Hon. Frederick G. Payne

United States Senator and
Former Governor of Maine

Hon. Paul A. Dever

Former Governor of Massachusetts

Hon. Fielding L. Wright, Sr.

Former Governor of Mississippi

SPONSORING MEMBERS

Mike Gorman
Roy Grinker, M.D.
Mrs. John Gunther
John Gunther
Irving Harris
F. Homburger, M.D.
Robert W. Hyde, M.D.
Mrs. Henry Ittleson, Sr.
M. Ralph Kaufman, M.D.
William K. Keller, M.D.
Mrs. Robert Kintner
Judge John H. Lamneck
Isabel Leighton
Mrs. David Levy
Mrs. Joshua Logan
Joshua Logan
Mrs. Leonard Lyons
Arthur Mag
Mrs. Florence Mahoney
Albert Q. Maisel
Mrs. Edward Marcus
Mrs. Joseph Mankiewicz
Ben May

Hon. John W. Bonner

Former Gotiernor of Montana

Former Governor of New Jersey

Former Governor of North Carolina

Former Governor of Tennessee


United States Senator and

Former Governor of Wyoming

Hon. Alfred E. Driscoll


Hon. W. Kerr Scott

Hon. Gordon Browning


Hon. Frank A. Barrett

Karl A. Menninger, M.D.
William C. Menninger, M.D.
Lois Mattox Miller
John A. P. blillet, M.D.
Robvrt A. Jloore, M.D.
Douglas Orr, M.D.
AI Ostrow
Clifton Perkins, M.D.
Howard Potter, M.D.
Justin Reese
Bernard J. Reis
Thomas A. C. Rennie, M.D.
Elmo Roper
Thomas Rosenberg
Helen Ross
Leonard Rountree, h1.D.
Arthur H. Kuggles, h1.D.
hlrs. Charles Schlaifer
Julius Schreiber, M.D.
Spyros P. Skouras
Harry C. Solomon, h1.D.
Benjamin Spock, h1.D.
hlrs. Charles Vidor
Ozro T. Woods, h1.D.
S. Bernard Wortis, h1.D.

Purpose: Through a broad educational campaign, to create public understanding and support of the 10-point Bill of
Rights for the mentally ill adopted by the 1954 National Governors' Conference on Mental Health. To convince the
American people to actively support federal, state and local preventive mental heglth programs emphasizing research,
training and expanded clinic and community services designed to treat and cure mental illness in its early stages.

-2-

It is also important  to remember that each of the 16 Southern
States has completed an exhaustive survey of its mental health

research and training potential.  The recommendations of these
individual- state survey committees call for the expenditure of
additional millions of dollars in the launching of research
projects and the training of increased professional personnel
within state boundaries. The Atlanta Conference recommended
the continuance of these state research and training committees
on a permanent basis, and a number of Governors have already
taken such action.

The South is the first region to mount a cooperative attack
upon mental illness, but the idea is catching on rapidly in
other parts of the country. In the Midwest, two preliminary
meetings have been held and 10 Midwestern states have completed
research and training surveys leading up to a Midwestern Gov-
ernors'  Conference on Mental Health November 30th in Chicago.
In the Far West, 80 legislators and administrative officials
from the 11 Western states met late in September and voted for
a survey of mental health training md research facilities  in
that area.  In New England, a regional compact on higher edu-
cation has been signed by the participating state  Chief Ex-
ecutives, At a conference of Northeastern mental health
authorities early in October, proposals for regional mental
health agreements were discussed.

The National Mental Health Committee is very proud of its  role
in these historic activities. It is particularly grateful to
its honorary chairmen, the 40 State Governors, who have dis-
played great leadership in furthering our common objectives.
I will keep you posted on regional developments in other parts
of the oountry. I enclose reprints of two NEW YORK TIMES
Sunday columns written by Dr. Howard A. Rusk.

Cordially,

c". .&- Y-e,

Mike Goman
Executive Director

MG/ne
Enolosures