Elmer Ernest Southard

Who was Elmer Ernest Southard?

Elmer Ernest Southard was an American neuropsychiatrist, neuropathologist, professor and author. Born in Boston, Southard lived there for almost his entire life. He attended Boston Latin School, then completed college and medical school at Harvard University. While studying at Harvard, he distinguished himself as a chess player. Southard briefly studied in Germany, then returned to the United States as a pathologist at Danvers State Hospital. He held academic appointments at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School.

Southard headed the Boston Psychopathic Hospital after its opening in 1912. There he pioneered the pathologic study of the brain and was particularly interested in the study of shell shock and schizophrenia. He published several books, including Shell Shock and Other Neuropsychiatric Problems, which included nearly one thousand case histories. Southard served as president of the American Medico-Psychological Association and the Boston Society of Psychiatry and Neurology. He held advisory positions with the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service and with the Eugenics Record Office.

Southard was also an influential mentor, providing guidance to several well-known figures in psychiatry and psychology. He worked with Myrtelle Canavan early in her career, and he inspired Karl Menninger's interest in psychiatry. Comparative psychologist Robert Yerkes referred to Southard as "my master of psychopathology."