It was in the spring of 1996 that I first made contact with Alan R. Felthous, MD. I was a third-year psychiatry resident at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and I was looking for a fellowship in forensic psychiatry. I contacted William (Bill) Reid, MD, MPH, in the Austin, Texas, area and asked his advice. I told Dr. Reid that I did not want to travel far from Houston, as I intended to return to Baylor. It was his recommendation that I consider seriously Dr. Felthous’ fellowship program at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston. Dr. Reid explained that although the forensic psychiatry fellowship program at UTMB was not as well known as some others, Dr. Felthous was nonetheless a superlative teacher who had created an excellent all-round educational program. It was my good fortune to be accepted into the program. I will always appreciate that advice, as I found my educational experience under the guidance of Felthous to be even more than I had anticipated.
It was my great privilege to work under Dr. Felthous’ guidance and watchful eye from July 1997 through June 1998. During that year, I learned a lot about what it means to be a forensic psychiatrist and about Alan Felthous. I shall try to capture for my fellow members in the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL) what it is about Alan Felthous that makes us both privileged and fortunate to have him as our President.
Many of us in AAPL know firsthand the enormity of his stature as a forensic psychiatrist. However, that merely scratches the surface, when attempting to portray those qualities that make him a man whom AAPL members, as fellow forensic psychiatrists, wish to emulate. More than a pre-eminent forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Felthous is a wonderful human being who exemplifies all those qualities we find so meaningful and worthwhile.
Dr. Felthous by his actions, as well as in his words, reveals himself as a man of integrity, honesty, truthfulness, humility, empathy, and compassion for the frailties of his fellow human beings. No matter how loathsome, contemptible, or wicked a criminal defendant might be, Felthous also sees the human being behind the behavior, the labels, and the alleged crime. Seeing the human being under the cloak of criminal behavior, he always treats the individual with respect.
Dr. Felthous has never lost sight of the consequences of his opinions and he struggles not to let those consequences influence his opinions. In other words, it is not just performing his work honestly while striving for objectivity that is important; it is the understanding that he is dealing in a legal environment where the freedom or life of a fellow human being is at stake. As you might imagine, such an understanding provides greater motivation to explore fully and portray if, how, and why the defendant's mental illness plays a part in the alleged criminal act. It is through this process of uncompromising psychiatric exploration that Dr. Felthous believes he can provide reasonable psychiatric explanations of the defendant's thinking and behavior for the judges, attorneys, and juries listening to his opinion. This was also a part of Dr. Felthous’ core teaching in the fellowship program. There should be no deviation from a full and proper psychiatric evaluation in every case.
In Dr. Felthous’ case, to see that you are in the presence of someone very special takes great attention and concentration, as his innate humility and unassuming nature can be mistaken for ordinariness. The perception of ordinariness vanishes in the astute observer's mind once he has had the opportunity to spend even a few moments discussing professional or personal matters with Dr. Felthous.
Alan Felthous was born toward the end of World War II and grew up in Washington State. He was the first of three children born to Robert Alan and Agnetta Wilhelmina Felthous. According to his parents, his siblings were very proud of him and saw him as a good example to follow. His father said that his son always had an inquiring but disciplined mind. Mr. Felthous stated that though he raised Alan not to be a fearful child, Alan was always careful and alert when approaching new adventures.
Young Alan Felthous and his father backpacked often in the Cascade Mountains, as he advanced through the necessary steps to become an Eagle Scout. The elder Felthous, as an example of his son's inquiring mind and keen focus on matters of interest, related a story regarding Alan's interest in mushrooms. After studying the subject and borrowing books from the library to identify the various edible and nonedible mushroom types, Mr. Felthous said that he and Alan went into the mountains and gathered a large quantity of mushrooms. Once home, Alan identified the mushrooms and set aside those that were edible. He examined the remaining mushrooms and created various designs on white and dark paper with the gathered spores. With total confidence in their son's ability, the family sat down to a lovely meal that included the mushrooms that Alan identified as edible.
Another story involved Dr. Felthous’ working toward his God and Country Scouting Award that required him to attend Sunday School for 14 consecutive weeks. On the way home from a skiing trip with his father, the elder Felthous reported that they were the first car on the road to “run smack dab into an avalanche.” According to Mr. Felthous, his son surveyed the situation objectively and surmised that they would be safe because they had their mountain pass kit and survival materials in the car, and the worst part of the avalanche had passed. Mr. Felthous said that it took 12 hours before the snow plow could reach them. Tired and exhausted, father and son found a motel for the night in Packwood, Washington. Mr. Felthous reported that after a very brief respite, Alan got up at 6 AM and found a Sunday School in Packwood that he attended, thus keeping his commitment to the requirements of the award.
His parents both agree that their son exhibited enormous personal discipline and an unparalleled capacity to concentrate and focus his mind on what he was reading or doing despite distractions that would rattle most of us. Mr. Felthous recalled that Alan always followed the academic approach to learning when discovering or exploring something new. Again, Mr. Felthous saw his son as fearless, yet careful and concerned.
Alan played sports in high school and his father bought a set of weights so Alan could keep himself in good physical shape. Alan's younger brother, Dean, recalled that Alan was an avid reader of both comic books and regular books. Dean said that Alan especially enjoyed Alfred E. Neumann. Those of us brought up in the era of MAD comics remember Alfred and those memorable aphorisms: “Who says nothing is impossible? Some people do it every day!” “Getting old is when a narrow waist and a broad mind change places!” “A college jock is someone who minds his build instead of vice versa!” Alfred campaigned for the presidency in 1956 with the slogan, “You could do worse, and always have!”
Dean recalled Alan's writing book reports about the human mind after reading from Fromme, Freud, and other stalwarts of psychiatry and psychology. He described Alan's interest in and study of handwriting analysis, hypnosis, and interpretation of dreams. According to Dean, Alan dissected a crab, meticulously isolating and numbering the location of each part. After cleaning and drying each part of the dissected crab, Alan glued it all back together. Alan's parents said that the high school science teacher was so impressed that he put the specimen on display at the school.
Even at an early age, writing and lecturing were of great interest to Alan Felthous. His father described Alan's being invited to speak at Boys State when he was in high school. Alan wrote for and edited the Calyx Echo, the Selah High School newspaper. (Selah is a small town located just north of Yakima, Washington.)
Upon graduation from high school in 1963, Dr. Felthous went off to study at the University of Washington, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology. During his undergraduate years, he expanded his lifelong interest in the German language, and today he speaks and writes German fluently.
After completing college, he attended medical school at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. While there, he became publications editor for Tractions, the medical school's student publication and was also commissioned as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve. His parents and siblings agreed that Alan was a serious student who focused on his studies and the importance of his work in becoming a physician. It was in Louisville, Kentucky, that Alan met his Grosse Liebe and lifelong soulmate, Mary Louise Wilkins.
They met on a blind date. She was working as a nurse for a general practitioner whose son was a classmate of Alan. The fellow told Mary about Alan and asked her permission to give Alan her telephone number. Mary gave her consent. According to Mary, her father was a stern, but loving and protective man who by chance intercepted Alan's call. When Alan asked to speak to Mary, her father brusquely stated that he did not believe that he had met Mr. Felthous. Alan, not to be deterred from his primary objective, agreed with Mr. Wilkins that they had not met, but he, indeed, looked forward to the opportunity to introduce himself properly, and, if Mr. Wilkins would permit it, he would like to speak to Mary. Alan's conversation with Mary Louise eventually led to their attending a Halloween party as their first social outing, and the multiple dates that followed soon culminated in their August 1971 wedding.
Mary Louise describes her husband as a considerate, loving, and gentle man with great inner strength that continuously makes her feel secure, needed, and appreciated. Alan remains the love of her life, and their relationship is filled with deep understanding and appreciation of one another.
The young, married couple spent 1971 and 1972 in New York City where Dr. Felthous served his internship at the Roosevelt Hospital. His wife noted that it was a bit lonely for her the first couple of months in New York, as it took until October 1971 to get her New York State nursing license, while he was enmeshed in the demanding call schedule and responsibilities of internship.
The year passed quickly and the young couple headed off to Belmont, Massachusetts, where Felthous had been accepted into the psychiatry residency training program at McLean Hospital, a teaching hospital of the Harvard Medical School. It was during his years at McLean that he explored and exploited every opportunity to learn about legal matters, especially the interaction of psychiatry and the criminal justice system. Dr. Felthous participated as a special student in a course on law and society at the Harvard Law School. He was fortunate to work with Bernard Yudowitz, MD, JD. With Dr. Yudowitz and several other residents, Felthous founded McLean Hospital's Institute of Law and Psychiatry and initiated psychiatric consultation services at the Massachusetts Correctional Institute at Framingham.
Dr. Yudowitz reported that the unfolding of the following events at McLean Hospital probably stimulated Dr. Felthous’ interest in forensic psychiatry: At the time, the federal court demanded that the Department of Corrections do something about the treatment of mentally ill inmates at the Bridgewater State Hospital. I received a grant to go to the hospital and evaluate the situation and make recommendations. Alan Felthous was a resident and he worked with me in developing a typology regarding criminal behavior between men and women in the prison system. The women were housed at the Massachusetts Correctional Institute at Framingham and the men at Bridgewater.
Alan was a prodigious worker, very committed to the project, and more conscientious than I, as I would get behind in reviewing his work. Alan was a pleasure to work with and a continuing stimulus to everyone because of his commitment to excellence and hard work.
Dr. Yudowitz recalled the initial organization of AAPL and was touched and delighted that Dr. Felthous had risen to a position of prominence within the organization. Yudowitz wanted the membership to know that the qualities and skills that have brought Felthous to the presidency of AAPL were evident and manifest during his years as a resident-in-training at McLean Hospital.
Following the completion of his residency training in psychiatry, Dr. Felthous served two years’ active duty with the U.S. Navy, after which he remained active in the Naval Reserve. In 1987, he was promoted to the rank of Captain (the same as the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army). In this position, he commanded two hospital reserve units and directed the health services of three regions, in the Southern, Northwestern, and Mid-Southern areas of the country. In 1991, he served two months in support of Operation Desert Storm. He retired from the military in 1999, having honorably served his country for almost 22 years.
Following his active duty tour in the U.S. Navy, he went to the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas. Felthous remained on the faculty at Menninger from 1977 through 1983, where he rose within the system from an associate psychiatrist to a section chief. He was a faculty lecturer at the annual law and psychiatry workshops of the Menninger Foundation.
The Felthous family began to grow in Kansas with the arrival of their daughters, Emily in 1979 and Elizabeth in 1981. Erik was born in 1974.
At Menninger, Dr. Felthous’ scholarship blossomed, and he was honored with the Wood-Prince Award for Scientific Publications for five consecutive years. He was particularly noted for his authoritative and comprehensive treatment of the psychotherapist's duty to warn and protect.
In 1984, Dr. Felthous moved, taking a position in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) as Chief of Forensic Psychiatry Services and Consultant to the Galveston County Jail. In 1989, he was promoted to full professor with tenure and in 1994 became the Marie B. Gale Centennial Professor of Psychiatry.
In 1990, Robert M. A. Hirschfeld came to UTMB as the Titus Harris Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. When asked to describe those qualities of Felthous that would assist the AAPL membership in understanding our good fortune in having him as our president, Dr. Hirschfeld offered the following comments: When I first arrived at UTMB in 1990, Alan Felthous was very helpful to me in transition to academic life. He showed me with great pride the superb forensic psychiatry program he was developing. He had already established himself as one of the rising stars in the field and commanded respect from his colleagues in the department and in the university. His forensic evaluations became legendary for their meticulous attention to detail, their insight, their compassion, and their comprehensiveness. Everyone in the legal profession with whom he dealt had tremendous respect and admiration for him.
In addition to his forensic psychiatry practice, Dr. Felthous assumed key clinical leadership positions in the department. He succeeded Dr. Robert White as the Director of the Adult Psychiatry Division, overseeing a large inpatient program and an extensive, multifaceted outpatient program. In this capacity he excelled, setting an example and providing leadership through many crises and changes. He was a beacon of stability, of sound clinical judgment, and integrity.
Dr. Felthous is a rare and extraordinary man. His contributions to his patients, to the department, to the University, and to the community at large are manyfold. We feel honored to have had him with us for so many years.
Michael J. Guarino was the Galveston County District Attorney during much of the time Alan Felthous was at UTMB. Mr. Guarino participated in the landmark case portion of Dr. Felthous’ forensic psychiatry fellowship program by lecturing on criminal legal matters.
In an interview, Mr. Guarino said: Dr. Felthous was known as the preeminent Boy Scout in that he always did what was right. He was a straight shooter.
Everyone in the legal community knew that Alan Felthous could not be bought—very few wanted to take him on at trial. In a case where a psychiatric examination was performed, the opposing counsel's question was always, “Felthous didn't examine him, did he?”
Alan Felthous’ evaluations were always thorough and complete. He focused on helping others understand the psychiatric problem and how it related to the criminal act.
He always knew the parameters within which he could testify and nobody could move him out of those parameters.
Dr. Felthous was serious about what he was going to testify to and clearly understood how his testimony could affect the defendant's freedom and life.
He was highly respected by the judges, attorneys, and prosecutors of Galveston County and was always respectful of those he evaluated.
He performed his services to the legal community as a gentleman and a professional. He never intentionally set out to hurt anyone's feelings—even under vigorous cross-examination he answered politely and clearly. I never saw him flustered on the witness stand.
The Honorable I. Allen Lerner, Senior Judge, 56th Judicial District Court, Galveston County, recalled an incident in his courtroom that he states he will never forget; it is as clear in his mind as if it had happened yesterday. The honorable judge turned 80 years of age recently, and the incident occurred over 20 years ago when Dr. Felthous had recently moved to Galveston. Judge Lerner provided the following details of the incident: Dr. Felthous was testifying in a competency hearing before an impaneled 12-person jury. While he was testifying, the defendant suddenly stood up and let go with a bolus of sputum that hit Dr. Felthous on the cheek and glasses. Without missing a word, Dr. Felthous continued his testimony while reaching for his handkerchief and using it to wipe his face and glasses.
The attorneys, the jury, the spectators, as well as myself were stunned at Dr. Felthous’ calm demeanor, as well as his powers of concentration, so that an incident that could have blown up into something serious was downgraded to no more than a minor irritant of no consequence to his important work as a testifying expert.
The next day the Galveston newspaper had a front page write-up of the incident and how Dr. Felthous handled himself. The paper said nothing about the facts of the case.
The Honorable David E. Garner, Chief Judge, Judicial District Courts of Galveston County, recalled the incident and said that it was all over Galveston by the next day. Judge Garner joined Judge Lerner in their high regard and respect for Felthous and his work. They noted that Alan Felthous was always serious about his work, straightforward in his presentations in court, and always focused on what he was doing and why he was doing it. Judge Garner, Judge Lerner, and Mr. Guarino all expressed the enormity of the community's and Texas’ loss when Alan Felthous left in 1998 to take a position at Southern Illinois University.
William J. Winslade, PhD, JD, James Wade Rockwell Professor of Philosophy in Medicine, Institute for Medical Humanities at UTMB, was a colleague of Dr. Felthous during his tenure at UTMB from 1984 to 1998. Dr. Winslade shared his insights regarding Dr. Felthous with the AAPL membership: Alan was a colleague during the 14 years we were at UTMB together. He was always prepared, precise, thoughtful in his comments. He was ready to explore ideas beyond the surface. When an issue arose challenging settled ideas on the subject, Alan was able to suspend judgment and explore the issue fully and objectively.
When the Tarasoff case brought forth the issues for psychotherapists regarding a duty to warn or protect, a large number of high-profile psychiatrists were brought together to address the issue. Alan was a lightening rod bringing clear thinking and the ability to put those thoughts into well-reasoned opinions on the matter.
Alan was always seen as a man of principle, difficult to categorize because of the many facets of his knowledge, his interests, and personality. Never a self-promoter, Alan was low key, with no pontification, no grand standing.
While at UTMB, Dr. Felthous participated with the late Professor Ernie Barratt's team, which made seminal contributions to our understanding of impulsive aggression, a work he has continued with fellow investigators at the Chester Mental Health Center, Illinois State's maximum security forensic hospital.
He became an AAPL member in 1978 and has presented regularly in the scientific programs of the AAPL annual meetings. As an active AAPL member, he continues to organize symposia, panels, and workshops at various institutions and professional meetings in the United States and abroad.
For his continuing contributions to the science of forensic psychiatry in Europe, Dr. Felthous was designated an honorary member of the College of Private Psychiatric Practice in Bulgaria, given an award for his participation on the organization committee of the 2001 International Conference on Serial Murder and Social Aggression in Russia, and enrolled as a member of the German Society of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Treatment of Nervous Conditions. He contributed regularly at the national psychiatric meetings in Germany, always delivering his lectures in German. Over the past several years, he has given invited lectures at meetings of the Russian Psychiatric Society and the Expert Conference on Psychiatry in Bulgaria, delivering both talks in those countries’ national languages.
It is best, in my opinion, to hear directly from those distinguished international colleagues who have had experience and interaction with Dr. Felthous. I was pleasantly struck by the immediate and excitedly warm response I received from Felthous’ colleagues who are professionals holding important positions in their respective countries. These men generously and enthusiastically took the time and effort to share with us their views.
One such colleague is Henning Sass, MD, Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, and Medical Director, University Hospital of the University of Technology in Germany. Dr. Sass noted that he first came in contact with Felthous more than 20 years ago when Sass was a resident in psychiatry at the famous Department of Psychiatry in Heidelberg. Sass proudly mentioned the illustrious names of former department heads, including Emil Kraeplin, Franz Nissl, Karl Jaspers, Wilhelm Mayer-Gross, and Kurt Schneider. It was at Heidelberg, Sass reported, that he qualified in forensic psychiatry, which led to his scientific collaboration with Felthous. Dr. Sass provided us with the following summary of his interactions with Dr. Felthous: When I moved to the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry in Munich, the scientific and personal relationship with Alan Felthous became closer. We met at a lot of different places in Germany and Europe, and I had the privilege of visiting him at UTMB and SIU. Our collaboration remained stable and intensive even after I moved to the University of Technology in Aachen where I held the Chair in psychiatry, but always with a special emphasis in forensic psychiatry.
Over the years, Dr. Felthous participated in many scientific meetings and symposia, lecturing and attending clinical rounds at the University of Munich as well as in Aachen. Alan became a member of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie, und Nervenheilkunde (DGPPN) the official scientific association of psychiatry in Germany.
On several occasions, I had the privilege of hosting Dr. Felthous as the guest of honor at our meetings. During these appearances, Dr. Felthous exchanged ideas and perspectives on forensic psychiatric issues with distinguished leaders in psychiatry from Germany and Europe. It was a great pleasure to note that his knowledge of the German language and his fluency in speaking German consistently improved. I have always admired his linguistic competence and his energy in delivering his lectures and participating in some very intensive discussions on forensic topics in German. In addition, Alan not only studied the German language but also the history, culture, and traditions of our country.
Dr. Felthous was personally and professionally engaged in evaluating and improving the science of forensic psychiatry in different countries of the world. An example of special importance were several missions at the Serbski-Institut in Moscow.
Dr. Felthous plays a very important role in the mutual understanding of the different legal systems in Europe and in the United States. The exchange of knowledge, ideas, and perspectives in research as well as in criminal proceedings and in patient care is a special contribution provided by Dr. Felthous to the international field of forensic psychiatry. In this respect, he not only shows a masterful overview of the psychiatric and legal systems in his country, but he has become an expert in our European and special German concepts in these matters. In regards to the future, our ongoing collaboration grows in importance as we dedicate our work toward a greater mutual understanding and in developing a supranational perspective on problems in forensic psychiatry.
I have had the privilege of working with Dr. Felthous in his work on the international Handbook of Psychopathic Disorders and the Law that is to be published in 2007. Without the broad network of national and international contacts with researchers and practitioners all over America and Europe, Dr. Felthous would not have been able to undertake such a huge task. I am full of admiration of how actively, politely, but also persistently, he manages his professional duties. It is only a scientist with his competence and authority who can bring together the most important researchers in forensic psychiatry all over the world.
In addition to his outstanding academic qualities, I want to underline that Dr. Felthous, as a person, is a much esteemed colleague and kind friend. Over the many years I have known him, I have come to appreciate his extremely reliable and trustworthy character and, at the same time, his utmost modesty. The privilege of personal friendship and scientific cooperation with Alan Felthous is one of the great fortunes in my professional life. I congratulate the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, as I know Dr. Felthous will serve you well as president.
Alexander O. Bukhanovsky, MD, PhD, DS, is Professor and Chairman, Department of Psychiatry at the Rostov State Medical University in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Dr. Bukhanovsky noted that he has known Alan Felthous since 1998 when they met at meetings in Europe. Subsequently, they developed a professional collaboration and personal friendship. Bukhanovsky recalled the following incident at the Congress of European Psychiatrists in Munich last year: I called on Dr. Felthous in his hotel room and found that it was not a room but a study hall where drafts of articles, correspondence, books with bookmarks, were laid out wherever there was space. I was struck by the efficiency and activity of the man, at a time when professionals often do not come to work but to get together and enjoy themselves.
He demonstrated the same style at the various congresses and conferences in Russia, striking many observers with his enormous energy and excitement for his work in forensic psychiatry. Being a workaholic myself, I was greatly impressed by these qualities.
Bukhanovsky reported that he arranged for English-speaking colleagues to assist Felthous in presenting his lectures in Russia. Though these doctors knew English, they were not trained, synchronous interpreters. To the amazement and appreciation of all, Dr. Felthous had learned and practiced enough to give his lecture in understandable Russian. He added: Dr. Felthous participated in seminars, symposia, and workshops from morning to night during his visits with us in Russia. As a result of his questions and commentaries that struck at the heart of the issues being discussed, it was clear to everyone that he had a precise and clear comprehension of the varied debatable issues in forensic psychiatry on an international scale.
Dr. Bukhanovsky observed that Felthous “possesses the best qualities of the organizer, an important quality for the position of President of AAPL.” Bukhanovsky reported that the collaborative work he has done with Felthous emphasizes the newness and originality of his thinking on forensic psychiatric matters. Bukhanovsky noted that Felthous is well-known and respected in Russia and admired by such luminaries as Professor V. N. Krasnov, President of the Russian Society of Psychiatrists, and Director of the Serbski Institute. Dr. Bukhanovsky stated that he looks forward to Dr. Felthous’ presidency of AAPL as a time to widen and deepen international cooperation in forensic psychiatry.
Georgi Koichev, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and President, Private College of Psychiatry, Sofia, Bugaria, reported that he has known Dr. Felthous for more than 15 years. Dr. Koichev stated that he first became acquainted with Felthous from his activities in the Danube Association Congresses and in his annual participation in the Conferences of Bulgarian Psychiatrists.
Koichev made the following comments: Dr. Felthous is a highly competent psychiatrist with vast knowledge and experience in forensic psychiatry, which places him among the world's elite in this area. His research in the clinical, therapeutic, and forensic assessment of aggression, especially impulsive aggression, is outstanding and up to date in theory and practice.
Dr. Felthous has published articles in the Bulgarian psychiatric journal, Receptor, and has contributed extensively as a member of the editorial board increasing the professional level of the journal and thereby the educational level of Bulgarian psychiatrists.
For his contributions to Bulgarian psychiatry, Dr. Felthous was awarded the status of Honorary Member of the Private College of Psychiatry in 2005.
In my experience, Dr. Felthous is a physician who exhibits the highest moral standards, and he couples this with humanism and empathy.
It was also a great pleasure to hear from John Gunn, MD, Emeritus Professor of Forensic Psychiatry, and Immediate Past Chairman, Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry, Royal College of Psychiatry, in London, England. Professor Gunn noted that he had visited Felthous when he was at UTMB in Galveston, Texas: I was immediately impressed that his self-evident humanity had its roots, at least in part, in his family life, which was clearly very important to him. You describe his concern for offenders and his respect for prisoners; this again was evident when I followed him in his clinical work. I was impressed with how much of a clinician he is, as opposed to a technical forensic expert. This immediately struck a chord with someone from this side of the Atlantic where the whole emphasis on forensic psychiatry is patient care.
Gunn noted that he and Felthous edited the forensic psychiatry section of Current Opinion in Psychiatry for a number of years. Gunn reported that it was during that time that he discovered Felthous’ meticulous attention to detail and, most important, his commitment to an international perspective on forensic psychiatry. According to Professor Gunn, Felthous’ commitment to an international perspective has made him a particularly attractive figure to forensic psychiatrists in Britain. Gunn ended his comments by noting Felthous’ unfailing courtesy to colleagues, friends, and patients alike and his remarkable unflappability when under pressure.
In 1999, Felthous moved to Southern Illinois University, as Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, and Training Director, Division of Forensic Psychiatry, in the Department of Psychiatry. He was the Medical Director at the Chester Medical Health Center, Illinois’ maximum security forensic hospital from 1999 through 2006. On January 1, 2007, Felthous was appointed Professor of Psychiatry and Director, Forensic Psychiatry, at the St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Armed with his insatiable inquisitiveness and prodigious energy for work, Dr. Felthous continues his multidimensional work in the practice and teaching of forensic psychiatry locally, nationally, and internationally.
The Felthous children, now adults, wanted to share their insights about a father they admire and respect for his unfailing love, his strong character, and his constant attention to the needs of the family. The children all stated that, in their view, their father was a living example of what he taught: the value of hard work and dedication to family and profession, an inquisitiveness about the world, high moral standards, and an empathy for those in distress.
Erik said that he could always go to his father with the most serious problems and he noted that his father would work with him to evaluate the pros and cons of the situation without getting caught up in its emotional aspect. Erik, with his father's encouragement, involvement, and support, followed in his footsteps in becoming an Eagle Scout.
Emily said that her father laid out a wonderful course for navigating through life's highways and byways. Agreeing with her siblings, when asked to give one significant trait regarding her father that sticks out in her mind, Emily noted unhesitatingly, “Dad's best teaching was by example, the way he lived his life.” Emily said that it was much more powerful than words could ever be, because he taught by doing rather than by saying. Her father got her into running, as she would go out with him on Saturdays and run along the seawall in Galveston. She continues to run and has completed two marathons.
Elizabeth recalled that she and Emily accompanied their father on a camping trip to Brazos Bend State Park in Texas. Her father was an outdoor person and loved camping. She recalled with fondness her father's great inquisitiveness and that she and her father would look up at the night sky and identify the various constellations. Her father once bought an astronomy book to which they referred in identifying various star groups and constellations. Often when they went camping, Elizabeth said that her father would bring along a tape recorder, record various bird calls, and then attempt to identify the bird by its call.
So, there we have it—a brief, simplified bird's eye view of Alan Felthous as reported by a number of astute observers who lived or interacted with him in various ways over many years.
Alan R. Felthous, MD
- American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
