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Benjamin Spock

"Dr. Spock" redirects here. For the Star Trek character, see Spock.
Benjamin Spock
Spock in 1976
Born
Benjamin McLane Spock

May 2, 1903
New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedMarch 15, 1998(1998-03-15) (aged 94)
San Diego, California, U.S.
EducationYale University (BA)
Columbia University (MD)
Spouse
    Jane Cheney
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1927; div. 1976)​
    Mary Morgan
    ​
    (m. 1976)​
Children2
RelativesMarjorie Spock (sister)
AwardsE. Mead Johnson Award (1948)
Scientific career
FieldsPediatrics, psychoanalysis
InstitutionsMayo Clinic 1947–1951
University of Pittsburgh 1951–1955
Case Western Reserve University 1955–1967
Signature

Benjamin McLane Spock (May 2, 1903 – March 15, 1998), widely known as Dr. Spock, was an American pediatrician[1] and left-wing political activist.[2] His book Baby and Child Care (1946) is one of the best-selling books of the 20th century, selling 500,000 copies in the six months after its initial publication and 50 million by the time of Spock's death in 1998.[3] The book's premise told mothers, "You know more than you think you do."[4] Dr. Spock was widely regarded as a trusted source for parenting advice in his generation.[5]

Spock was the first pediatrician to study psychoanalysis in an effort to understand children's needs and family dynamics. His ideas influenced several generations of parents, encouraging them to be more flexible and affectionate with their children and to treat them as individuals. However, his theories were widely criticized by colleagues for relying heavily on anecdotal evidence rather than serious academic research.[6]

After undergoing a self-described "conversion to socialism", Spock became an activist in the New Left and anti-Vietnam War movements during the '60s and early '70s, culminating in his run for President of the United States as the People's Party nominee in 1972. He campaigned on a maximum wage, legalized abortion, and withdrawing troops from all foreign countries. His books were criticized by conservatives for propagating permissiveness and an expectation of instant gratification, a charge that Spock denied.[7]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Downes, Lawrence (March 22, 1998). "Word for Word / Dr. Spock; Time to Change the Baby Advice: Evolution of a Child-Care Icon". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  3. ^ Thomas Maier, Dr. Spock: An American Life (New York: Basic Books, 2003), 462.
  4. ^ Hidalgo, Louise (August 23, 2011). "Dr Spock's Baby and Child Care at 65". BBC News. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  5. ^ McNair, Kamaron (August 16, 2024). "'Neither of us feel interested': More Americans don't want kids, and it's not just because of the money". CNBC. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  6. ^ Maier, 260.
  7. ^ Pace, Eric (March 17, 1998). "Benjamin Spock, World's Pediatrician, Dies at 94". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 19, 2021.

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