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from Events/Announcements
A Tribute to Harold M. Voth
by A. Dean Byrd, Ph.D.
One of the founders of NARTH, Harold M. Voth, M.D. died
on January 20, 2003 after a courageous battle with cancer.
Dr. Voth was a member of the Governing Board of NARTH
and also a Menninger Foundation Faculty member for 26
years, where he participated in groundbreaking research in
personality organization and family dynamics. He was a
highly regarded professor in the Menninger School of
Psychiatry and received the Teacher of the Year Award in 1970.
Dr. Voth also had a distinguished career in the United
States Navy and Naval Reserve where he achieved the
rank of Rear Admiral and was the Medical Officer to the
Commander-in-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet. For his work in
the development and implementation of the Naval and
Marine Corps anti-drug program, Dr. Voth received the
Legion of Merit, the highest peacetime medal.
Harold was a wonderful colleague, esteemed mentor and
personal friend. My association with him spanned more
than a decade, while my familiarity with his work extended
for more than three decades. Though he was a formidable
discussant, a brilliant thinker and a passionate
teacher, Harold's love of family was center stage in his life.
Stories about his children and grandchildren always found
their way in his presentations which were often accompanied
by a sense of humor.
He was a strong advocate of patient self-determination.
Regarding the right to seek therapy to change one's sexual
adaptation, Harold could be heard to say with an attitude
of indignation, "Just listen to the patient!" He considered
the right to treatment to be self-evident and inalienable.
There are no words that describe Dr. Harold Voth better
than tenacity and integrity. He was a champion of the
underdog and the downtrodden. He took many public
positions on controversial issues and was secure in his
opinion and forceful in his presentation. He had impeccable
integrity-- he was a trustworthy friend.
During his illness, Harold had a dignified presence even
on the phone. In one of my conversations with him in early
January, while noting that the "curtain was about to close,"
he seemed preoccupied with the love of family and friends.
"I have had a good life," was his closing comment. In my
mind's eye, I reflected how my own life had been enriched
by our friendship.
Perhaps there's no better tribute to Dr. Harold M. Voth
than that penned by Alfred Lord Tennyson, as follows.
Crossing the Bar
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea.
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;
For though from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have cros't the bar.
Dr. Harold M. Voth was one of a rare breed of men whose
convictions were reflected in his everyday life and in his
relationships with others. His contributions to NARTH
will continue through those who knew him, who admired
him, and who loved him.
Updated: 8 February 2008
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