June 15, 1997
After four years of trying to be brief, I have asked TAP Editor Bill Jeffrey for the opportunity to “de-brief.” I have a few things to tell you about my experience as secretary of The American.
It takes a while to learn how our organization works under the best of circumstances, but The American was in a critical state of transition in May 1993, when I took office. We were anticipating the retirement and replacement of an administrative director with 38 years of tenure, savvy, and inside information. Only Helen Fischer knew where everything was. That, combined with increasing computerization and electronic communications in the central office, as well as the intimidating external challenges to confidentiality and to psychoanalytic practice itself, convinced me of the need for continuity in the elected leadership.
I agreed to run for a second term. I'm glad I did, but by the fourth year I felt exhausted. The demands and responsibilities on the Executive Committee in the three administrations I worked with were awesome, but that is not what exhausted me.
Rather, it was the tendency of people to become overly identified with their own responsibilities, losing sight of the overall good of the organization. Too often, the powerful ties that unite us seemed to give way to imagined or exaggerated differences in goals and values. Since practically every view I heard seemed to have some merit and to deserve a hearing, the issue was not good versus evil, but how people worked with each other in making decisions. Some leaders are much better at this than others. I am pleased to report that matters improved markedly during my last year and The American appears to be headed toward an even greater degree of internal cooperation.
Doris Eder's short tenure as administrative director was really difficult for her and for those of us who worked closely with her. The relief I felt when Ellen Fertig took over would be hard to exaggerate. She has won the confidence of a hardworking staff, the respect of our members, and the love of all of us who have gotten to know her quiet, unassuming, but extremely intelligent and thoughtful approach to her job. She seems to enjoy her work with us very much and to appreciate what we are about.
Our president, Marvin Margolis, is a leader of uncommon vision and insight. At once a man of action and a man of unusual patience, he has the ability to get people to work well together. I have observed him up close since we began working together on the Committee on Institutes about 12 years ago. I have great confidence in the steadiness, consistency, and wisdom of this modest, unassuming grandmaster of outreach. I have never known anyone who called less attention to himself while working so hard and doing so much, unless it was Richard Simons, our president during the lawsuit. Both men gave themselves to our organization as few of us are able or willing to do; such leaders should be recognized as natural resources whose energies should not be squandered.
Marvin is like a tide that comes in and raises all our boats; but tides go out, and so will Marvin, in May 1998. I hope we can take full advantage of the opportunities for growth and expansion that his efforts are making possible, and that we can combat ignorance about psychoanalytic treatment and what it has to offer by extending ourselves to the community that surrounds us.
Many of us — perhaps most of us — are most comfortable in the familiar surroundings of our own offices and institutes, with our patients, students, and colleagues, and tend to avoid going out into the wider communities in which we live and work. President-elect Bob Pyles challenges this generalization by going out into the world of legislators and lobbyists to speak about what we do and what we need. He has even learned to bring analytic thinking into corporate systems and professional sports teams as a consultant. Some of our members may not know that his efforts were honored by the American Psychiatric Association at its May meeting. A modest man, like Marvin,
Bob too is dedicated to building consensus among differing positions in the search for common ground. I admire him for how much talent, patience, and understanding he brings to the process. I hope we can continue to choose our presidents so well.
In Newell Fischer, we have a clear-thinking, intrepid treasurer, possessed of good judgment and a keen sense of humor. If you spend too much on a plane fare as a committee chair, you may hear from him. But he is thoughtful, fair, and inclusive in making the tough fiscal decisions that come at him. Under his leadership, the Budget and Finance Committee has developed a similar reputation. He has won the respect of all of us in a relatively short period of time.
Working with such people has been a treat. I feel greatly honored to have been elected to two terms by a membership that I so warmly esteem. My wife, Lynn, and my children Debbie, Rebecca, Luke, and Annie, have been unfailingly understanding and supportive (if sometimes amused) by the hours I spent on the phone, or writing minutes, or away at meetings. I am greatly pleased to restore a fuller measure of my attention and energies to them and to my patients and my teaching and supervising, as well as such individual pursuits as writing, painting and drawing, music, sailing, and camping.
Many people helped me, especially during the three years in which I also served as director of the Denver Institute. Dick Simons and Jerry Jacobson have been like the older brothers I always wished for. I appreciate the kind support I got from everyone at the central office, but especially from Tina Faison, Carolyn Gatto, Brian Canty, Debra Eder, Joan Abramowitz and, of course, Ellen Fertig.
Respectfully submitted,
David Hurst