‘Man of Good Conscience’ Bequeaths Substantial Sum to Women Psychiatrists

Symonds died on November 6, 2000, and his generous bequest was just part of a remarkable legacy to the fields of psychiatry, criminal justice, and education.

To those who knew him best, he was “Marty,” a man of integrity and wisdom. He was married to Alexandra Symonds, M.D., a psychiatrist who founded the AWP in 1983. She died in 1992.

“The money will help us continue to provide leadership and inspiration to women psychiatrists and their patients,” said AWP President Silvia Olarte, M.D. “The pioneers of AWP, including Alexandra Symonds, wanted women to be able to express themselves in all aspects of their lives—as mothers, wives, and professionals.”

Olarte noted that the bequest will enable the AWP to recruit new members and grant awards to women psychiatrists for many years to come.

Symonds graduated from Brooklyn College in 1938 and two years later became a New York City police officer. During this time, he met his future wife. Like Alexandra, Symonds decided to enter medicine, and he enrolled in Downstate Medical Center. He earned a medical degree in 1951.

To prepare for a career in psychiatry, he completed residency appointments with the U.S. Public Health Service, the Veterans Administration, and Bellevue Hospital.

From 1954 to 1962, Symonds studied psychoanalysis at the American Institute for Psychoanalysis, a pursuit that had a tremendous impact on his later career. In 1974 he became the director of the Victim Treatment Center at the Karen Horney Clinic in New York City, where he continued to work until his death as a director emeritus and consultant.

Symonds’ seven-year stint as a police officer before entering medical school was just the beginning of a lengthy career with the police force.

“Marty had a lifelong love affair with the police department,” said Arthur Knour, Ph.D., chuckling as he remembered his longtime friend and coworker. Knour is director of the Psychological Evaluation Unit at the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

Beginning in 1961, Symonds served as a psychiatric consultant to the NYPD and in 1978 became a staff psychiatrist. From 1980 to 1985, he was director of Psychological Services at the NYPD.

“Marty set most of the current procedures and practices regarding candidate testing and psychological evaluations that are still being followed in the Psychological Evaluation Unit 20 years later,” said Knour.

Besides his work with the NYPD and the Karen Horney Clinic, Symonds was also a consultant to government organizations and played an important role in U.S. history—in 1981 the U.S. Department of State selected Symonds to debrief hostages who had been held in Iran for 444 days.

Early AWP members and close friends of his wife remember him with great affection. APA Assembly Speaker Nada Stotland, M.D., declared Symonds “the Founding Father of AWP.” Leah Dickstein, M.D., former AWP president and the first winner of the Alexandra Symonds Award, described Symonds as “gentle steel.”

Dickstein awarded AWP’s first Man of Good Conscience Award to Symonds last year. She first coined the term “man of good conscience” in 1991 to describe “a man of power who, recognizing gender-bias issues, is ready and willing to actively support women being treated equitably.” ▪