George Roark, after a distinguished second career as parliamentarian for the American Psychoanalytic Association, has retired. He served for 12 years and was presented with a distinguished service award at the annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Following the tradition he promoted, his successor will also be an analyst, Sheila Hafter Gray.
In an interview, Roark commented that having taken the job thinking that it would not be too demanding, he found “an unexpected reliance [by the chair] on my presence, my suggestions, my interventions.” He said that he intervened “to provide some orderly process that otherwise might have been more spontaneous.” This, he said, allowed for more democracy, not less. After some time in the job, he found that his accrued authority allowed him to intervene less often.
Immediate past-president Jon Meyer, whom Roark served, says of him:
“George Roark served for 12 years as parliamentarian of the Association. That is never an easy job but Roark's tenure was during some of the most difficult times the Association has ever known. We were lucky to have his steady hand and skills available to us. In addition to being a skilled and dedicated parliamentarian, however, George Roark was a gentleman of the old school and became a dear friend to all who knew him.”
Eric Nuetzel, current chair of the Board of Professional Standards, said, “George Roark approached his work as parliamentarian with sound knowledge of parliamentary procedure and deep respect for the traditions of the Association. He always maintained his equanimity, even when those around him did not. He has been dedicated, responsible, and cool under pressure—in short, a model parliamentarian and a delight to know.”
Roark's interest in organization bylaws and parliamentary procedures arose during his presidency (1976-1978) of the Baltimore Washington Society for Psychoanalysis. He served on bylaw revision committees of the society and institute, helping redistribute power between the two organizations. He emphasized that as APsaA chair it was essential that he be apolitical, that he not favor one psychoanalytic theory over another, and that he support one-man one-vote. To that end, and given his required attendance at the meetings of the Board on Professional Standards, the Executive Council, and the Meeting of Members, he said it was a help that he was retired from his analytic practice.
Roark did his psychiatry residency at Menninger's, and his psychoanalytic training at the then Baltimore Institute for Psychoanalysis, now the Baltimore Washington Center. Menninger, he says, was “hectic,” and it was where, studying with Robert Wallerstein, Roy Shafer, and John Kaiser, he first became interested in psychoanalysis.
His military duty then required a move to Washington, D.C. He was detailed to the CIA, where he interviewed applicants for employment and for assignment overseas to make sure they were healthy enough to work in countries hostile to the United States. Making clear that he did not participate in any hostile interrogation interviews, he noted that he saw some defectors from Communist bloc countries. He left fulltime employment with the CIA in 1957, but continued as a consultant until 1991. Among other tasks, he did some work on psycho-biographical studies of foreign leaders.
Roark's experience writing bylaws enabled him to write bylaws for the board of the Charles County, Maryland, Mental Health Authority and to revise the entire bylaws of the Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, Maryland. He also created bylaws for two garden clubs and the initial bylaws of the Heritage Hunt Chapter of the American Wine Society.
Roark credits the ministrations of his wife, Barbara, for his ability to work his last years as parliamentarian. His next project is to prepare a version of Roberts' Rules of Order with annotations based on his APsaA experience for use by members of APsaA.
On his retirement, Roark commented, “It has been a stimulating and professionally rewarding run for me…It has been my privilege to have worked with so many distinguished, dedicated, and able leaders among our membership.”
Julie Jaffee Nagel, Ph.D., is a member of the APsaA Program Committee, University Forum Committee, co-chair of the Music Subcommittee of the Ad Hoc Arts and Psychoanalysis Committee, adjunct assistant clinical professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, and in private practice in Ann Arbor.
Michael Slevin, M.A., is editor of TAP.