The Global Alliance Mourns the Loss of Milton F. Shore

The Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice (formerly the American Orthopsychiatric Association) mourns the loss of Milton F. Shore, who served as editor of the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry (AJO) in 1989–1993 and president of the American Orthopsychiatric Association in 1980–1981. Milt’s contributions to the association cannot be overstated. During the years when the association did not have an active presence in Washington, Milt was there as a volunteer participant in coalitions for children’s mental health. After the association began a Washington Fellowship program, Milt was a frequent source of advice and support. Gary Melton, a fellow past president of the organization and former journal editor, wrote a tribute to Milt in 2014 in which he described him as “one of Ortho’s most dedicated members.”

In 1980, Assistant Surgeon General Bertram Brown described then incoming Ortho president Milton Shore as follows:
. . . a dramatic prototype of the compleat professional. He works well with and understands psychiatry. He is a skilled researcher and an experienced clinician. He cares deeply about youth, with a concern that extends far beyond clinical settings. At a time when so many in the mental health field advocate a constriction of efforts, Milt remains unabashedly attentive to such broader issues as the implications of poor employment opportunities for inner-city youngsters, and the quality of school systems.

In a 1993 editorial in AJO, Milt wrote, “Despite the now widely accepted understanding of the close ties between mental health and social issues, we still have a long way to go.” That statement is as true today as it was 24 years ago. In Milt’s honor, may we follow his advice “to keep in the forefront of our scholarly work the ways in which our findings and experiences can be useful in social planning and social change.”

Thank you, Milt, for your tireless advocacy and commitment. You will be greatly missed.