Thomas Francis Xavier (Mike) Gorman (1913-1989) was a well-known journalist, author, publicist, and crusader for health policy reform. He won a Lasker Award in 1948 for his newspaper exposés of state mental hospital conditions in Oklahoma, and from 1953 to 1989 directed the National Committee Against Mental Illness, a lobbying and advocacy group. In the 1970s and 1980s he also headed several other advocacy groups, including Citizens for the Treatment of High Blood Pressure and the National Initiative for Glaucoma Control. The National Library of Medicine is the repository for the Mike Gorman Papers, which range from 1946 to 1989. The collection contains speeches, photographs, published and unpublished articles and books, news clippings, correspondence, and reports.

As part of its Profiles in Science project, the National Library of Medicine has made available online a digitized selection of the Mike Gorman Papers. This website provides access to the portions of the Mike Gorman Papers that are now publicly available. Individuals interested in conducting research using the full collection of Mike Gorman Papers should contact the National Library of Medicine.

This Profile is designed to introduce you to the various phases of Gorman's career and professional life. Narrative sections available from the navigation bar under "The Story" focus on Gorman's life and major contributions to fostering science and health.

Researchers can search the digitized items using the Search box or browse all Documents and Visuals in the collection by selecting "Collection Items" from the navigation bar.