BENJAMIN SPOCK
Dr. Benjamin Spock, 1903-1998
His life covered most of the last century. His influence will reach far into the
next. He was, and will always be, a man for all children.
The man who would become, somewhat to his own astonishment, the most trusted
pediatrician and best-selling author of all time was born in New Haven,
Connecticut, on May 2, 1903. As the eldest of six children, Benjamin McLane
Spock was immersed in the world of childcare at an early age, helping to change
diapers, babysit, feed, and otherwise attend to his siblings. His parents, a
prominent lawyer and a devoted mother, ran a strict household and harbored high
expectations for their offspring.
Benjamin Spock readily absorbed these standards, attending Phillips Academy in
Andover, Massachusetts, and then Yale University, like his father before him. At
Yale, Spock studied literature and history and excelled in athletics, even
earning a spot on the Olympic rowing crew that won a gold medal at the 1924
games. He attended the Yale School of Medicine for two years and then
transferred to Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons in New
York, where he graduated first in his class in 1929. By that time, he had
married Jane Cheney and soon had two sons, Michael and John.
While specializing in pediatrics, Spock realized that he could best help his
young patients and their parents if he gained a greater understanding of their
psychological needs and family dynamics. With the dedication and intensity that
marked his every endeavor, he studied psychoanalysis for six years, making him
the only practicing pediatrician of his time with this combination of training.
The more he talked with parents and studied the psychological and emotional
aspects of childhood, the more convinced he became that much of the prevailing
wisdom of the day was flawed. And, in 1946, he was given the chance to publish
his iconoclastic views in The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, a tome
he penned for Pocket Books that initially sold for a modest 25 cents. During
Spock's long lifetime, his book would be translated into 39 languages and sell
more than 50 million copies, making it second in sales only to the Bible.
Spock's ideas have become such a part and parcel of the parenting landscape that
it's easy to forget how revolutionary they were. In post-war America, parents
were in awe of doctors and other childcare professionals; Spock assured them
that parents were the true experts on their own children. They had been told
that picking up infants when they cried would only spoil them; Spock countered
that cuddling babies and bestowing affection on children would only make them
happier and more secure. Instead of adhering to strict, one-size-fits-all
dictates on everything from discipline to toilet training, Spock urged parents
to be flexible and see their children as individuals.
Perhaps most revolutionary of all, he suggested that parenting could be fun,
that mothers and fathers could actually enjoy their children and steer a course
in which their own needs and wishes also were met. All this and much more,
including a wealth of helpful medical advice, was delivered in a friendly,
reassuring, and common-sense manner completely at odds with the cold
authoritarianism favored by most other parenting books of the time.
With characteristic modesty, Spock never would have predicted the overwhelming
success that Baby and Child Care would come to enjoy. He once admitted that if
he had known that his editors were entrusting him with producing the most
influential parenting book ever written, he would have replied, "I don't know
enough." As it turned out, he knew plenty--Baby and Child Care was an instant
success with parents and struck a chord with other progressive doctors and
childcare practitioners. During Spock's long lifetime, the book would go through
seven editions, be translated into 39 languages, and sell more than 50 million
copies, making it second in sales only to the Bible.
As his celebrity grew in the '50s and '60s, Spock worked feverishly on behalf of
children and parents. He taught child development at Western Reserve University
(now Case Western) in Cleveland, Ohio, for 12 years, wrote many other books on
childcare, and lectured around the world. He even had a television program
devoted to the concerns of families. Dr. Spock had become a household name.
As the Cold War escalated and American troops were sent to Vietnam, he became a
vocal political activist, speaking out for disarmament and against the war in
Southeast Asia. To Spock, this was just another way of protecting the young
people to whom he was so devoted. His political views made him unpopular in some
circles and hurt the sales of Baby and Child Care, but he persisted, convinced
that politics was an essential part of pediatrics. He participated in anti-nuclear
demonstrations well into his 80s and 90s, and ran for President on a third-party
ticket in 1972, speaking out on issues concerning working families, children,
and minorities.
In 1976, he married his second wife, Mary Morgan, who became a valued
collaborator. They traveled the country, lecturing and writing, and co-authored
the memoir Spock on Spock in 1985. A man who witnessed the birth of the
automobile as well as the Internet, Spock prided himself in keeping up with the
times, a fact that's reflected in the many revisions of Baby and Child Care in
which he incorporated the latest medical developments and dealt with emerging
social issues such as working mothers, daycare centers, and single parenthood.
Throughout his life, Spock remained a tireless and courageous advocate for
children and families, and his legacy will remain a source of knowledge and
inspiration for parents for generations to come.
Dr. Benjamin Spock, 1903-1998
His life covered most of the last century. His influence will reach far into the
next. He was, and will always be, a man for all children.
The man who would become, somewhat to his own astonishment, the most trusted
pediatrician and best-selling author of all time was born in New Haven,
Connecticut, on May 2, 1903. As the eldest of six children, Benjamin McLane
Spock was immersed in the world of childcare at an early age, helping to change
diapers, babysit, feed, and otherwise attend to his siblings. His parents, a
prominent lawyer and a devoted mother, ran a strict household and harbored high
expectations for their offspring.
Benjamin Spock readily absorbed these standards, attending Phillips Academy in
Andover, Massachusetts, and then Yale University, like his father before him. At
Yale, Spock studied literature and history and excelled in athletics, even
earning a spot on the Olympic rowing crew that won a gold medal at the 1924
games. He attended the Yale School of Medicine for two years and then
transferred to Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons in New
York, where he graduated first in his class in 1929. By that time, he had
married Jane Cheney and soon had two sons, Michael and John.
While specializing in pediatrics, Spock realized that he could best help his
young patients and their parents if he gained a greater understanding of their
psychological needs and family dynamics. With the dedication and intensity that
marked his every endeavor, he studied psychoanalysis for six years, making him
the only practicing pediatrician of his time with this combination of training.
The more he talked with parents and studied the psychological and emotional
aspects of childhood, the more convinced he became that much of the prevailing
wisdom of the day was flawed. And, in 1946, he was given the chance to publish
his iconoclastic views in The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, a tome
he penned for Pocket Books that initially sold for a modest 25 cents. During
Spock's long lifetime, his book would be translated into 39 languages and sell
more than 50 million copies, making it second in sales only to the Bible.
Spock's ideas have become such a part and parcel of the parenting landscape that
it's easy to forget how revolutionary they were. In post-war America, parents
were in awe of doctors and other childcare professionals; Spock assured them
that parents were the true experts on their own children. They had been told
that picking up infants when they cried would only spoil them; Spock countered
that cuddling babies and bestowing affection on children would only make them
happier and more secure. Instead of adhering to strict, one-size-fits-all
dictates on everything from discipline to toilet training, Spock urged parents
to be flexible and see their children as individuals.
Perhaps most revolutionary of all, he suggested that parenting could be fun,
that mothers and fathers could actually enjoy their children and steer a course
in which their own needs and wishes also were met. All this and much more,
including a wealth of helpful medical advice, was delivered in a friendly,
reassuring, and common-sense manner completely at odds with the cold
authoritarianism favored by most other parenting books of the time.
With characteristic modesty, Spock never would have predicted the overwhelming
success that Baby and Child Care would come to enjoy. He once admitted that if
he had known that his editors were entrusting him with producing the most
influential parenting book ever written, he would have replied, "I don't know
enough." As it turned out, he knew plenty--Baby and Child Care was an instant
success with parents and struck a chord with other progressive doctors and
childcare practitioners. During Spock's long lifetime, the book would go through
seven editions, be translated into 39 languages, and sell more than 50 million
copies, making it second in sales only to the Bible.
As his celebrity grew in the '50s and '60s, Spock worked feverishly on behalf of
children and parents. He taught child development at Western Reserve University
(now Case Western) in Cleveland, Ohio, for 12 years, wrote many other books on
childcare, and lectured around the world. He even had a television program
devoted to the concerns of families. Dr. Spock had become a household name.
As the Cold War escalated and American troops were sent to Vietnam, he became a
vocal political activist, speaking out for disarmament and against the war in
Southeast Asia. To Spock, this was just another way of protecting the young
people to whom he was so devoted. His political views made him unpopular in some
circles and hurt the sales of Baby and Child Care, but he persisted, convinced
that politics was an essential part of pediatrics. He participated in anti-nuclear
demonstrations well into his 80s and 90s, and ran for President on a third-party
ticket in 1972, speaking out on issues concerning working families, children,
and minorities.
In 1976, he married his second wife, Mary Morgan, who became a valued
collaborator. They traveled the country, lecturing and writing, and co-authored
the memoir Spock on Spock in 1985. A man who witnessed the birth of the
automobile as well as the Internet, Spock prided himself in keeping up with the
times, a fact that's reflected in the many revisions of Baby and Child Care in
which he incorporated the latest medical developments and dealt with emerging
social issues such as working mothers, daycare centers, and single parenthood.
Throughout his life, Spock remained a tireless and courageous advocate for
children and families, and his legacy will remain a source of knowledge and
inspiration for parents for generations to come.