Dennis Patrick Cantwell, M.D., 1939–1997

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Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Images in PsychiatryFull AccessDennis Patrick Cantwell, M.D., 1939–1997Joshua B. Grossman, M.D., F.A.C.P.Joshua B. GrossmanSearch for more papers by this author, M.D., F.A.C.P.Published Online:1 Apr 2001https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.158.4.546AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Dennis Cantwell, M.D., was a “natural” as a child psychiatrist. He combined high intellectual achievements with humility and empathy, qualities that made him particularly well endowed to work with young, handicapped children.Dr. Cantwell was a fine listener, both with his patients and with his friends. He knew intuitively how to let both “little people” and adults tell their own stories. Even during his residency at Washington University, his fellow students would come to him for advice. Dr. Cantwell’s sensitivity to the needs of others may have been partly shaped by his own experience with an eating disorder manifested by a craving for meat. As a Roman Catholic, he did not eat meat on Fridays and in fact fasted throughout the day. Pacing the halls, he would declare “I am hungry, but I cannot eat now. I hate fish. I have to wait until midnight to eat.” Then at 11:00 p.m. he would disappear, explaining that at the stroke of midnight he would be in a restaurant with a big steak.His spirituality and his love for his family ran deep, but he also approached life with a sense of humor. For example, although he loved and honored his eldest daughter, who was an attorney, he also would joke, “Every Sunday I go to kneel in mass and ask God’s forgiveness for making another lawyer.”His innate humility prevented him from discussing his many honors with his colleagues. He was a “whiz kid” as a child, graduated with highest honors from Notre Dame University, and went on to earn many other awards: The Ittleson Award from APA, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Washington University in St. Louis, and the Elaine Schlosser Lewis Award from the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. After completing a residency at Washington University, he became the Joseph P. Campbell Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles. His contributions to psychiatry were many: extensive research in disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and fields such as genetics, as well as service on the original DSM-III task force.Address reprint requests to Dr. Grossman, Department of Psychiatry, The James H. Quillen College of Medicine, 1005 Melrose Ave., Johnson City, TN 37601-2605; [email protected] (e-mail). Image courtesy of Susan Cantwell. Dennis Cantwell, MD.. FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited ByDemystifying Anorexia Nervosa: An Optimistic Guide to Understanding and HealingJOSHUA BERNARD GROSSMAN, M.D., 1 January 2005 | American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 162, No. 1Mastering Forensic Psychiatric Practice: Advanced Strategies for the Expert WitnessJOSHUA GROSSMAN, M.D., 1 June 2003 | American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 160, No. 6The Empathic Healer: An Endangered Species?JOSHUA GROSSMAN, M.D., 1 February 2003 | American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 160, No. 2 Volume 158Issue 4 April 2001Pages 546-546 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 April 2001 Published in print 1 April 2001