Lyman Wynne - Biography

Biography

Wynne was born into an impoverished but intellectual Danish family in a Southern Minnesota village. His mother died of uterine cancer when he was 11 years old, inspiring him to become a medical researcher. He was sent to live with an aunt and uncle in Duluth, Minnesota and later received a full scholarship to Harvard University.

He served as president of the American Family Therapy Academy in 1986 and 1987.

Dr. Wynne chaired the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry from 1971 to 1977, and then served as professor of psychiatry until his retirement to emeritus status in 1998. During the 1950s and 1960s, as a researcher and an official at the National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. Wynne pioneered new approaches to mental illness, especially schizophrenia.

“At a time when families of patients with schizophrenia were neglected by medical professionals, Dr. Wynne devoted his career to understanding them. He knew first hand about the devastating impact of mental illness upon families, losing a beloved sister to suicide early in his career. The experiences of his family fueled his determination to improve our treatment of schizophrenia, and gave him a deep empathy for those who are suffering.”

— J. Steven Lamberti, M.D, Associate Chair of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center