Marion Kenworthy MD Papers, 1913 - 1988

Summary

Creator:
Kenworthy, Marion E. (Marion Edwena), 1891-1980
Abstract:
This collection contains the papers of Marion Kenworthy, an American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. The collection has 7 series: Biographical Information, Children Related Organizations, Organizations, American Psychoanalytic Association, National Association for Mental Health, Correspondence with Individuals, and World War II Activities.
Extent:
16 boxes 7.26 linear feet
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The Marion Kenworthy MD Papers have been arranged into seven series: Biographical Information, Children Related Organizations, Organizations, American Psychoanalytic Association, National Association for Mental Health, Correspondence with Individuals, and World War II Activities. The collection covers the years 1913 to 1988; the bulk of the papers focuses on the 1940's and 1950's and 1960‘s. Most of the papers consist of typed correspondence files. Many of the series have been arranged alphabetically. Within each folder a chronological arrangement has been followed.

Biographical Information includes Kenworthy's diploma from medical school and her license to practice medicine and surgery, as well as some personal correspondence. Most of the series consists of articles written about her. Reprints of some of her articles are included.

Children Related Organizations contains correspondence on the reform of services to children. Kenworthy and Judge Polier fought for the reform of the Domestic Relations Court in New York City to integrate mental health concepts and services within the court system. Papers of the Citizens Committee for the Domestic Relations Court of the City of New York (later called the Citizens Committee for the Family Court) demonstrate Kenworthy's involvement in justice for delinquent children. She joined forces with Judge Polier, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Marshall Field to found the Wiltwyck School for Boys to care for and treat black boys who had been found delinquent by the Children's Court.

Organizations is devoted to organizations that are not exclusively focused on the mental hygiene of children. Two with which Kenworthy was associated are the American Orthopsychiatric Association and the U.S. Public Health Service.

Dr. Kenworthy served several important roles in the American Psychoanalytic Association. She was chairman of the Survey Financing Committee, which undertook to evaluate training facilities accredited by the Association. Funding was secured from the U.S. Public Health Service in 1956. Approximately half the papers in this series relate to the daily operations and reports of this survey. Kenworthy became president of the Association in 1958 and some of her presidential files are included in her papers. These encompass papers regarding the annual meeting, the Journal, Board on Professional Standards, and files on many committees. The bulk of the Association records date from 1958-1959.

Kenworthy served on the Board of Directors and in other capacities of the National Association for Mental Health. In 1950, this organization was formed from the consolidation of the following organizations: National Committee for Mental Hygiene, Psychiatric Foundation, and National Mental Health Foundation. Other organizations associated with the National Association for Mental Health are included in this series. Frankwood E. Williams was a director of the National Committee for Mental Health and papers relating to him are incorporated in this series.

Kenworthy maintained active Correspondence with Individuals, both colleagues and friends. Some of the correspondents are: Albert Deutsch, Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck, Alan Gregg, Ives Hendrick, Lawrence S. Kubie, William C. Menninger, Eugene Meyer, Justine Wise Polier and her husband Shad Polier, Otto Rank (copies of some of his lectures and associated material are included in the series), M. John Rockmore, Eleanor Roosevelt, Benjamin Sonnenberg, and Louis S. Weiss. Most of the correspondence was written between the 1940's and 1970's.

World War II Activities contains correspondence and reports regarding Kenworthy's activities as a psychiatrist. Significant papers include the transcripts of the April and June 1944 Conference on Germany After the War which tried to clarify the problem of how to deal with the German people after their defeat, using contributions of psychiatry and anthropology. Kenworthy's official trip to the Pacific to assess the Women's Army Corps includes lectures she gave to the WAC, reports, and photographs.

Biographical / historical:

Marion E. Kenworthy was born on August 17, 1891 and grew up near Concord, Massachusetts. She was a leading psychiatrist and pioneer educator in the fields of psychiatry, social work, and mental health. After receiving her medical degree from Tufts University in 1913, she became the first woman physician at the Gardner State Colony for Chronic Mental Patients in Massachusetts. It was there she originated a plan to move patients from the institutional settings to supervised placements with families; this foreshadowed the latest developments in helping mental patients return to community life through transitional settings. Her training analyst was Otto Rank.

Dr. Kenworthy pioneered in introducing psychiatry into the curriculum of a school of social work. When the Bureau of Child Guidance was established in 1921 by the New York School of Social Work at Columbia University, she opened a clinic for the study and treatment of disturbed children, then used the clinic to provide field work training for students. The clinic was the first affiliated with a school of social work. She remained at Columbia University School of Social Work until her retirement in 1956.

Over the years, Dr. Kenworthy linked psychiatric social work with law, the military, and other fields. Working with Judge Polier, she introduced mental health concepts and services to the Juvenile Court. Other efforts that related to juvenile justice, child welfare, and human fights included the Wiltwyck School for Boys, the Citizens Committee for Children of the City of New York, and Louise Wise Services, a multiservice children's agency. During World War II, Dr. Kenworthy was a consultant to the armed forces and made flying visits to overseas installations. General George C. Marshall appointed her to the Civilian Advisory Committee for the Women's Army Corps. She also participated in the improvement of recruitment and selection procedures.

When the National Association for Mental Health was organized in 1950 as a consolidation of three existing agencies, Dr. Kenworthy was elected to its executive committee. She kept the Association alive despite lack of funds and internal fractions; today it was later known as the National Mental Health Association. In 1958, Kenworthy became the first woman elected president of the American Psychoanalytic Association. She also served as executive committee chairman of its Survey Committee, which made a nationwide study of training facilities. Marion Kenworthy died in New York City on June 26, 1980.

Acquisition information:
The Marion Kenworthy MD Papers were donated in 1983 by Dr. Kenworthy‘s estate and handled by her secretary, Irene Dahut.
Appraisal information:

Reprints not directly related to Dr. Kenworthy 's papers have been removed from the archival collection and will be disbursed to appropriate areas of the Library and elsewhere.

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Written permission must be obtained from the Oskar Diethelm Library and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Location of this collection:
DeWitt Wallace Institute of Psychiatry: History, Policy and the Arts
Weill Cornell Medical College
525 East 68th Street, Box 140
New York, NY 10065, United States
Link to repository site
Contact:
212-746-3728