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THE EDITORS AND STAFF of Contemporary Psychoanalysis mourn the loss of Dr. Bertram Schaffner, pioneering psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, author, and researcher. We cherish Dr. Schaffner as a brave and wise colleague. His compassion, skills, and deep understanding of human nature inspired generations of psychoanalysts and other mental health professionals. Dr. Schaffner was a gay man in the forefront of clinicians who practice openly as gay professionals, who deal openly with gay issues, and who work to enhance the dignity and self-esteem of professionals in our field.
Bertram Schaffner was born in 1912 in Erie, Pennsylvania. He entered Harvard University at the age of 15. He transferred to Swarthmore College, where he received his A.B. in 1932. He graduated from Johns Hopkins Medical School in 1937, trained in neurology at Mt. Sinai Hospital, and did his psychiatric residency at Bellevue Hospital and the New York Psychiatric Institute.
Dr. Schaffner served in the military during World War II and played a role in the Nuremberg trials after the war. He undertook psychoanalytic training at the William Alanson White Institute from 1949 to 1953- He was in private practice steadily since 1947. He was a faculty member and clinical supervisor at the White Institute since 1960 and served as President of the William Alanson White Society in 1960. He was the Medical Director of the HIV Clinical Service from 1993 to 2000 and was also a co-leader, with Dr. Stuart Nichols, of a landmark support group for HIV-positive medical professionals. He was appointed Supervising Analyst at White in 1994.