Jerrold Post
Jerrold Morton Post (February 8, 1934 – November 22, 2020) was an American psychiatrist and author. He was an analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) and the founder of the Center for the Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior.[1] Post created a number of "psychobiographies" on notable individuals during his tenure at the C.I.A. and is credited in some sources as inventing the field of political psychology.[1]
Jerrold M. Post | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 8, 1934 New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | November 22, 2020 (aged 86) Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Yale University (BA), Yale University (MD) |
| Occupation(s) | Psychiatrist, professor |
| Known for | Codification of political psychology |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Psychiatry |
| Institutions | George Washington University, Central Intelligence Agency, McLean Hospital |
Biography
Early life and education
Jerrold Morton Post was born on February 8, 1934, in New Haven, Connecticut. His mother was Lillian (Chaikind) Post, the bookkeeper at a shoe store, and his father was Jacob Post, a seller of movie reels to local theaters. Post worked his way through Yale University, from which he received his undergraduate degree in 1956. He received his M.D. degree in 1960, also from Yale. He completed a two-year residency at Harvard Medical School that was followed by a two-year fellowship at St. Elizabeth's psychiatric hospital in Washington, D.C.[1]
Career
In 1965, Post was preparing to accept a position at Harvard's McLean Hospital,[2] when, through an acquaintance, he was recruited by the C.I.A., where he began developing psychological profiles of world leaders. After a career of 21 years at the C.I.A.,[2] in 1986,[3] Post left to found a program of political psychology at George Washington University,[2] where as a professor, he taught until 2015.[4]
He was the founder and director of the Center for the Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior.[3] He also maintained a private practice in psychiatry out of his home in Bethesda, Maryland.[1]
Personal life and death
Post was married to Sharon (Ruttenberg) Post until her death in 1975. He married Carolyn Ashland in 1978. He and his first wife had two daughters, Cynthia Post, a psychologist, and Meredith Gramlich, a disability specialist. Post also had a stepdaughter, Kirsten Davidson. His sister was Judith Tischler. He played backgammon, jazz piano and tournament bridge.[1][5]
Post had kidney failure in his later years and went to a dialysis center weekly. He suffered a stroke in July 2020, and could no longer drive to dialysis, so he took a medical taxi where it is believed he contracted COVID-19. On November 15, he tested positive for COVID-19. Post died from the virus one week later, on November 22, 2020.[1]
Awards and honors
In 1979, Post won the Intelligence Medal of Merit. In 1980, he won the Studies in Intelligence Award. In 2002, he received the Nevitt Sanford Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Political Psychology.[3] He was a Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.[2]
Publications and articles
Post authored 14 books and scores of articles. His last book was entitled, "Dangerous Charisma: The Political Psychology of Donald Trump and His Followers", which he co-authored with Stephanie R. Doucette. It was published one year prior to the 2020 election.[1][6]
- Post, Jerrold M.; George L., Alexander (January 1, 2004). Leaders and Their Followers in a Dangerous World: The Psychology of Political Behavior. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0801441691.
- Post, Jerrold M. (March 23, 2005). The Psychological Assessment of Political Leaders: With Profiles of Saddam Hussein and Bill Clinton. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0472068388.
- Post, Jerrold M. (November 17, 2014). Narcissism and Politics: Dreams of Glory. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1107401297.
References
- Risen, Clay (December 12, 2020). "Jerrold M. Post, Specialist in Political Psychology, Dies at 86". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- Moffic, H. Steven (December 7, 2020). "A Psychiatrist for Our National Security: Jerrold M. Post, MD". Psychiatric Times. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- "Jerrold M. Post". Elliott School of International Affairs. George Washington University. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- Riedel, Bruce (December 7, 2020). "Jerrold Post: One of the CIA's truly great innovators". Brookings. Brookings Institution. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
- Trent, Sydney (December 5, 2020). "CIA psychological profiler who labeled Trump 'dangerous' dies of covid-19 at 86". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
- Artlip, Elizabeth (November 5, 2019). "Dangerous Charisma". C-SPAN. National Cable Satellite Corporation.