His Life

Alexander Reid Martin died on October 7, 1983 at the age of 87. He belonged to that first generation of modern analysts who were dissatisfied with a predominantly biological view of human nature and who were independent enough to defy a doctrinaire establishment. He was deeply influenced by Karen Horney and left the New York Psychoanalytic Institute with her to help found the American Institute for Psychoanalysis in 1941. As a teacher and training analyst he remained identified with the Institute until his death. He occupied most of its elective positions at one time or another, except for the deanship, which he declined to accept when it was offered to him after Karen Horney's death in 1952.

An unassuming, friendly man of great personal warmth, he was singularly devoid of ambitious status seeking. He had a profound influence on his students through the wealth of his ideas, his unique personality, his integrity and caring, without ever building a power base within the organization. In the course of his long life he became the recipient of many honors in this country and in Great Britain, wrote a large number of excellent papers, and was an esteemed member of numerous learned societies. He did not limit his activities, however, to those pursuits that are traditionally associated with psychoanalytic endeavors. Rather he followed his inclinations in an original and individualistic way. Without being a maverick, he was truly unconventional, questioning commonly held assumptions and surprising his listeners with the originality of his thoughts.

The son of musicians, he maintained an intense, lifelong interest in music. Unbeknownst to most of his colleagues, he sang in a glee club and also played various instruments. For many years he devoted much time, talent, and effort to mental health concerns of children. He was a consultant to the Boys Clubs of America, the Children's Aid Society, the Camp Fire Girls, and various related New York City agencies. He had an uncommon abil