Program Chair, 2006 AACAP Annual Meeting
Bob Harmon, Program Chair for the 2006 AACAP Annual Meeting, will be unable to attend the meeting he worked so hard to create. Regrettably, Bob died far too young and unexpectedly in February of this year. However, his plans and wishes for this year’s meeting were left behind and will be executed as he would have wanted.
For those who did not know Bob professionally, he was first and foremost, a child and adolescent psychiatrist. This was a professional label that he wore with great pride and dignity. Within child and adolescent psychiatry, he was passionate about infant psychiatry and prevention research, and was a strong leader in academic child psychiatry. He worked tirelessly as teacher, clinician, and academic leader while also devoting himself to the work of the AACAP where he held many positions, including Secretary and Deputy Editor of the Journal.
Bob spent most of his career at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. His work was inspired by mentors such as Bob Emde and Rene Spitz. After research training at NIH, Bob completed his child psychiatry training at Colorado and was one of the first child psychiatrists to work and study on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where he worked with the mothers and fathers of very ill children. Infant psychiatry became his passion. He was one of the founders of the 0-3 Network and played a critical role in bringing the Harris Program for training mental health clinicians to work with infants to Colorado. He later applied his interests to a particularly troubled group of women, those whose drug addiction has continued during their pregnancy. This work turned into a dream that was realized in the last year of his life when he played the critical role in creating CeDAR, the Center for Dependence, Addiction, and Recovery, a center with a particular focus on helping parents struggling with their own drug problems and their families. This is work that Bob knew well from his own work as a leader of several Caduceus groups for physicians in recovery.
Bob was dedicated to the AACAP Scientific Program Committee which he led, as he did most things, with energy, passion, creativity, and the highest ethical standards. Everyone was encouraged to present their work at the AACAP Annual Meeting, where Bob not only was Chair of the Program Committee but also was an advocate for good science, sound policy, broad education, and the inclusion of all committed to improving the lives of children and their families.
Bob is survived by his wife, Darlene, and his children, Jaeda and Ian—those who knew him well, frequently saw pictures of his family and heard wonderful stories of their many ccomplishments, as well as their patience for him and his many activities. They, too, share the memories of this remarkable man.
Bob will not be physically present for the 2006 AACAP Annual Meeting. He will not be able to give his reports, to conduct shuttle diplomacy, to chide us to work just a little bit harder and be a bit more creative as we strive for an even better program for our colleagues. However, make no mistake, this is Bob’s meeting. And, while we miss him greatly, we are proud to continue to serve and deliver to the AACAP and the field of child and adolescent mental health, the best meeting we have ever had. Bob’s meeting is our meeting. We are privileged to share the meeting and the memories of our wonderful colleague.
Written by Bennett L. Leventhal, M.D. on behalf of AACAP’s Program Committee.
