IN MEMORIAM

Frederick L. McGuire

Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior

Irvine

1926–2005

Frederick L. McGuire, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior from UC Irvine’s School of Medicine, passed away on November 1, 2005 at the age of 79 from congestive heart failure.

 

Dr. McGuire (always called Fred by everyone who knew him) was born on June 25, 1926 at New London, Conn. and spent his childhood there. He graduated in 1944 from Mount Hermon School (now Northfield-Mount Hermon) in northern Massachusetts, a school to which he remained dedicated until he died, serving for a number of years as secretary of his graduating class. In 1944 he joined the U.S. Navy and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of war until 1946. He remained in the Naval Reserve and used his veterans benefits to attend New London Jr. College (now Mitchell College) to which he was a life-long contributor, raising funds and in later years serving as secretary for the class of 1948. From 1949 until 1957 he was on active duty in the U.S. Navy Medical Service Corps (MSC) while obtaining his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees at NYU after which he continued on active duty as a psychologist until 1960. His service during this time included positions at the U.S. Naval Medical Research Laboratory in New London, internship at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bethesda, MD, positions as Head of the Psychology Depts. at the U.S. Naval Field Research Laboratory at Camp Lejeune, NC, the U.S. Naval Hospital in Philadelphia, and the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego. His last duty was as Project Director for the Naval Medical Neuropsychiatric Research Unit in San Diego.

 

In 1960 he accepted the position of Head of the Division of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Mississippi School of Medicine where he remained until 1965. Fred was hired by UC Irvine on October 1, 1965 and was one of the founding members of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior. His involvement began with the College of Medicine when it was located in Los Angeles adjacent to the Los Angeles County Hospital. When Warren Bostick, M.D. was appointed as UC Irvine’s first Dean of the College of Medicine, Fred McGuire accompanied him. The College of Medicine moved to the City of Orange, taking over the Orange County Medical Center which was then a County hospital, and it became affiliated with the UC Irvine campus. Fred quickly established himself as a serious research neuropsychologist. One of his many academic strengths was statistical analysis. He became an educator and research collaborator in numerous studies requiring his areas of expertise. In the mid 1970s, when Professor Louis A. Gottschalk was awarded a five-year Center research grant from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) to closely examine the epidemiology, toxicology and pathogenesis of psychoactive drug-involved deaths, Fred McGuire served as a key member on the Center’s research team.

 

Fred's curriculum vitae (1998) lists 56 published articles among which are

E.C. Dinovo, L.A. Gottschalk, F.L. McGuire et al. Analysis of results of toxicological examinations performed by coroners’ or medical examiners’ laboratories in 2000 drug-involved deaths in nine major U.S. cities, Clin. Chem 22:847-850, 1976; F.L. McGuire, H. Birch, L.A. Gottschalk et al. A comparison of suicide and non-suicide deaths in involving psychotropic drugs in four U.S. cities. American Journal of Public Health. 66:1058-1061, 1976: E.C. Dinovo, L.A. Gottschalk, J.F. Heiser, F.L. McGuire, H. Birch. Forensic toxicology proficiency monitoring: Results, experiences, and comments. Journal Analytic Toxicology. 1:126-129, 1978. L.A. Gottschalk, F.L. McGuire, J.F. Heiser et al. review of psychoactive drug-involved deaths in nine major United States cities. The International Journal of the Addictions. 14:733-756, 1979: L.A. Gottschalk, F.L. McGuire, E.C. Dinovo, H. Birch, and J.F. Heiser (Eds.) Guide to the Investigating and Reporting of Drug-Involved Deaths. National Institute on Drug Abuse, ADAMHA, U.S. Dept. HEW. DHEW Publication No. (ADM) 77-386. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1977, pp. 151. He also published six reviews of other authors' works as well as 13 monographs and in 1990 the American Psychological Association (APA) published his book Psychology Aweigh: A History of Clinical Psychology in the United States Navy, 1900-1988. He also presented 31 papers describing the results of his research efforts, primarily at APA meetings. To support his research he obtained, over the years, a total of $2,015,708 in funds from various government, academic and corporate agencies. In the course of his career he received a great many commendations for both academic and military accomplishments and retired in 1986 as Emeritus Professor at UCI and as Captain in the U.S. Navy Medical Service Corps. His advancement to Captain was partly due to the fact that while at UC he recruited many students to enlist in the USNMSC to complete their internships in Psychology.

 

On a personal note, Fred was, until his dying day, a devoted father to his children by his first wife Margaret (Snooks) McGuire and a delightful companion to his second wife, Joan (Guilford) McGuire, both of whom survive him as do daughter Nancy Weiser, sons Gary and Bruce, and four grandchildren. In his retirement days he not only remained devoted to his prep school and Jr. College and his comrades in both, visiting all reunions on both campuses and volunteering his services when needed, but he also was able to enjoy a number of cruises to such places as Mexico, Alaska, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, and finally to England where he cheerfully drove his wife to her ancestral homes and to Scotland for a meeting of her Clan. He was always supportive of all family members and they and friends will remember him especially for his sense of humor and kindness. He was buried with honors in the National Cemetery in Riverside and his marker reads:

        

FREDERICK L. McGUIRE

CAPT U S NAVY

WWII  KOREA  VIETNAM

JUN 25 1926          NOV 1 2005

NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN

 

 

Joan S. Guilford McGuire, Ph.D.

 

Louis A. Gottschalk, M.D., Ph.D.     

Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Human Behavior