Walter Jackson Freeman II
| Walter Jackson Freeman II | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 14, 1895 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | May 31, 1972 (aged 76) |
| Education |
Yale University University of Pennsylvania Medical School |
| Occupation | physician, psychiatrist, psychosurgeon |
| Known for | Popularizing the lobotomy Invention of the "ice pick" lobotomy |
| Children | Walter Jackson Freeman III |
| Parent(s) | Walter Jackson Freeman I |
| Relatives | William Williams Keen, maternal grandfather |
Walter Jackson Freeman II, M.D. (November 14, 1895 – May 31, 1972) was an American physician who specialized in lobotomy.
Walter J. Freeman was born on November 14, 1895 to a privileged family. He was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by his parents. Freeman was also known for his eccentricities and he complemented his theatrical approach to demonstrating surgery by sporting a cane, goatee, and a narrow-brimmed hat.
Freeman's grandfather, William Williams Keen, was well known as a surgeon in the Civil War. His father was also a very successful doctor. Freeman attended Yale University, which at the time was Yale College, beginning in 1912 and graduated with his undergraduate degree in 1916. He then moved on to study neurology at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. While attending medical school he studied the work of William Spiller and idolized his groundbreaking work in the new field of the neurological sciences. William Spiller also worked in Philadelphia and was credited by many in the world of psychology as being the founder of neurology. Freeman applied for a coveted position working alongside Spiller in his home town of Philadelphia, but was rejected.
Shortly afterward, in 1924, Freeman relocated to Washington D.C. and started practicing as the first neurologist in the city. Upon his arrival in D.C., Walter Freeman began work directing labs at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. Working at the hospital and witnessing the pain and distress suffered by the patients encouraged him to continue his education in the field. Freeman earned his PhD in neuropathology within the following few years and secured a position at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. as head of the neurology department.
In 1932 his mother died at the Philadelphia Orthopedic Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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