Commentary: The Wright Ross Salk Award: Reflection on a strong foundation leading to the robust future of pediatric psychology.

Abstract

I feel grateful and privileged to receive the 2014 Society of Pediatric Psychology Wright Ross Salk Distinguished Service Award, named for three legendary pediatric psychologists who had the foresight to create the Society for Pediatric Psychology (SPP). It is my intent here to honor their contributions and highlight the gifts I have received through my membership in and affiliation with colleagues, friends, students, and trainees of Division 54. Logan Wright, Dorothea Ross, and Lee Salk are luminaries in the field of pediatric psychology. In fact, Dr. Ross received the SPP Distinguished Contributions Award in 1979, before I was even aware of pediatric psychology and before I had begun graduate school. As noted at that time, ‘‘She was one of the three who founded the Society in 1968, putting her great and sustained energy into this task’’ (Award Announcement, News and Notes, 1979). Dr. Ross was not able to attend the award presentation, but her remarks were read to the members of the Society in attendance, and her acceptance speech was reprinted in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology (1979), in which she noted: ‘‘I feel that the great strides made by the Society in a little over a decade should be numbered among the advances in pediatrics cited in connection with the International Year of the Child.’’ She went on to describe the ‘‘air of vigor and resiliency about the fledgling Society that foretold success, productivity, and longevity’’ and ‘‘our jubilation when the membership roster reached 100’’ (now at 1,600 members). Logan Wright was a pioneering founder of SPP and served as the Society’s first President in 1969. These organizational contributions occurred while he was a faculty member in pediatric psychology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Dr. Wright wrote the first seminal article about pediatric psychology, published in the American Psychologist in 1967: ‘‘Pediatric Psychology: A Role Model.’’ His writing about training for pediatricians paved the way for the pediatric subspecialty of developmental and behavioral pediatrics, physicians who continue to be primary collaborators with pediatric psychologists across the country. Following the American Psychologist article, Wright chaired the Committee on Pediatric Psychology as a subgroup of Division 12’s Section of Clinical Child Psychology, with both Dorothea Ross and Lee Salk as members of that committee. It is noteworthy that the founder of pediatric psychology also served as the President of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1986. Dr. Lee Salk, brother ofNobel Prize recipient (for the polio vaccine), Jonas Salk, served as the Director of Pediatric Psychology at Cornell University Medical Center. In a 1974 interview with People Magazine, he was described as ‘‘. . .one of America’s most admired practitioners in the contentious field of child psychology.’’ He was one of the founders and President of the Division of Child, Youth, and Family Services (Division 37) and awarded the first Distinguished Contributions Award from SPP. Dr. Salk was well known for televisionand print media interviewsduring the1960’s, which provided publicity for pediatric psychology and facilitated funding resources. The first meeting of the Society was held at the1968SanFranciscoAPAConvention,with theorganization initially referred to as the Society FOR Pediatric Psychology, eventually becoming the Society OF Pediatric Psychology. Each of these individuals played a leadership role in the establishment, promotion, and growth of SPP, now a thriving independent division of APA. This legacy of ‘‘distinguished service’’ is exemplified through the spirit of the SPP’s Wright Ross Salk Award, with this history being carried forward by other pediatric psychologists who continue to serve the Society and its members. A review of dictionaries highlighted various definitions of ‘‘distinguished service’’ including ‘‘characterized by excellence or distinction; noble or dignified in conduct or