W. Edwin Fann: A History of The Tennessee Neuropsychiatric Institute

Samuel Gershon’s comment on collating document

       This detailed documentation is a very important historical document on the research center concept of organizing and conducting research. Within these details there is presented at least two typical constructs. The first is that the research group is brought together to study a primary question, e.g.,  the cause of schizophrenia. Another is the recruitment of a number of talented people to enable them to find their own matched colleagues and each group could then relate to each other on a mutual interest. I have been associated with several formats and would not propose that one can determine that any one model is the best. My experience that the best outcome may be purely a matter of chance or the good fortune of having individuals who can interact mutually toward the goals held by the integrated group. One magical success can be accomplished by a leader who has special personal and social qualities that will benefit the group. So, I have no correct answer but luck might be very valuable. The other fact to keep in mind is that many of them did just fade away, some with much scientific contribution and some with none. Finally, there are very few still alive

December 10, 2020