Department of Psychiatry

Abram E. Bennett, MD, c. 1930

Abram E. Bennett, MD, was born January 12, 1898 in Alliance, Nebraska. He graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor's of Science degree in 1919, and from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in 1921. He interned from 1920 to 1921 at University Hospital, and from 1922 to 1923 at the Philadelphia General Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His residency was at the Philadelphia Orthopedic Hospital and Nervous Infirmary and at Johns Hopkins' Phipps Psychiatric Clinic in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Bennett practiced medicine at Clarkson Memorial Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, from 1924 to 1948, specializing in neurology and psychiatry. He was also on the University of Nebraska College of Medicine faculty from 1928 to 1947, serving as chair of the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry in 1947. In 1945, he began the A. E. Bennett Neuropsychiatric Research Foundation. When Clarkson's psychiatry department closed, Bennett moved to Berkeley, California, working at the Herrick Memorial Hospital and as a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Berkeley. The tragic death of Foster Bennett, one of Bennett's three children, inspired the Foster Bennett Memorial Lecture Series. Dr. Bennett was a member of the American Psychiatrists Association (APA), American Medical Association (AMA), American Neurological Association (ANA), and was an AMA National Board Medical Examiner. He received AMA awards for science exhibits in 1940, 1946, and 1958, and developed medical uses of curare, a poison and curative first discovered by Indigenous tribes in South America. Bennett pioneered modern therapy for the mentally ill and researched effects of alcoholism on the brain.

Award from the Greater Omaha Association for Retarded Citizens, 1983

Cecil Wittson, MD, c. 1955

Cecil L. Wittson, MD, was born January 14, 1907 in Camden, South Carolina. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Carolina in 1927 and his medical degree in 1931. Dr. Wittson interned at Roper Hospital in Charleston from 1931 to 1932, then held various posts at Central Islip State Hospital in New York. He received post-graduate training at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in psychiatry and neurology from 1935 to 1938. In 1948, Dr. Wittson received certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. During World War II, Dr. Wittson rose to the rank of Commander in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Navy Reserve, serving from 1940 to 1946. After the war, he came to Nebraska, where he became director of the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute in 1950 and held the position until 1964. During this time, he joined the faculty in the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, becoming chair of the department in 1953. Dr. Wittson maintained these dual leadership roles until 1964 when he was named dean of the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. He became president of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1969, and in 1971 was named chancellor of the institution. He retired in 1972 and became chancellor emeritus. After his tenure at UNMC, Dr. Wittson served as director of medical programs with Henningson, Durham, & Richardson Consulting Architects and Engineers (HDR, Inc.) in Omaha. In 1981, he retired to his native South Carolina. In 1985, he moved to Lakeland, Florida where he subsequently passed away at the age of 82 on October 10, 1989.

David G. Folks, MD, c. 2003

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, David G. Folks, MD, grew up in Oklahoma, and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Oklahoma State University. He went on to receive his medical degree from University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, where he trained in Internal Medicine. Dr. Folks completed his residency in psychiatry and fellowship training at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. He is Board certified in General Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry, and Geriatric Psychiatry. Prior to UNMC, Dr. Folks was the vice chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham. He was also director of clinical services and medical director of the Center of Psychiatric Medicine. Dr. Folks came to UNMC in 1993 to chair the joint Department of Psychiatry at UNMC and Creighton. During his tenure, he oversaw groundbreaking work in the study and treatment of Alzheimer’s and was involved in the creation of the Center for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Disorders. This center focused on researching Alzheimer’s as well as dementia in patients with AIDS. In 1999, Dr. Folks managed the departmental split between UNMC and Creighton while still maintaining a joint residency program through the two universities. Dr. Folks oversaw additional reorganization of the UNMC department in 2003, including the closure of the Richard Young Center. His efforts were focused on re-concentrating resources on the campus and working with the hospital partner, Nebraska Medicine. Dr. Folks’ goal was to improve access and availability of departmental services to patients and enhance the department’s support and visibility at UNMC. His reorganization supported the opening of a 10-bed inpatient psychiatric crisis unit located in University Tower. Dr. Folks retired from the department in 2005, accepting a position as the chief medical officer of the New Hampshire Hospital and a faculty position at Dartmouth School. In 2017, he stepped down from this post to accept a faculty position at Michigan State University in the Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. He also serves as medical director of Hospital Based Services for Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services.

Frank J. Menolascino, MD, c. 1973

Frank J. Menolascino, MD, was born in Omaha, Nebraska, January 1, 1930. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Omaha in 1952 and his medical degree from UNMC in 1957. He joined the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry in 1958. Dr. Menolascino also joined the team at the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute (NPI) as the clinical director and a pediatric psychiatrist. At NPI, Dr. Menolascino worked closely with Wolf Wolfensberger, MD, developing a lifelong friendship. The two men worked together to develop community activism and support for persons with intellectual disabilities as well as championing the deinstitutionalization movement in Nebraska. They also helped created the Eastern Nebraska Community Office of Retardation (ENCOR), the first community-based support program in Nebraska and one of the first in the United States for individuals with intellectual disabilities. In 1985, Dr. Menolascino became chair of the combined Department of Psychiatry for Creighton and UNMC, the first joint program in the United States. During his tenure he authored 14 books and over 200 papers. He was also a visiting professor in France, Scotland, Japan, Austria, England, the Netherlands, and Canada. During his travels, Dr. Menolascino became an internationally recognized expert on the treatment of mental illness in persons with intellectual disabilities. Dr. Menolascino served as chair of the department until his death in 1992. He received many awards and honors, including being one of only two Americans to receive the Blake March Lecture Award from the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London. He received this award for his groundbreaking work on dual diagnostics of patients with intellectual disabilities and mental illness, which greatly improved treatment. His work led to the establishment of the Dual Diagnostic Unit at UNMC. The National Association on Dual Diagnosis (NADD) gives out the Frank J. Menolascino Award of Excellence annually to honor excellence, extraordinary achievements, and significant contributions in the field of dual diagnosis.

George Alexander Young, III, MD, c. 1960

George Alexander “Lucky” Young, III, MD, was born in 1938 to George Young, Jr., MD, and Margaret (Reynolds) Young. Dr. Young, III received his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and his medical degree from UNMC in 1964. After graduation, he interned at University Hospital before going on to residency at the Institute of Living, a private psychiatric hospital in Hartford, Connecticut. Dr. Young, III also worked for two years at the Angus Hospital in San Francisco, California. In 1969, he joined the military and served for a year in the armed forces. After service, Dr. Young, III joined the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, working first in the clinical research branch and later joining the clinical center and working with patients. After working in psychiatry on the east coast for many years, Dr. Young, III returned to Omaha to join his father’s practice in 1972. He served with his family in practice for many years, departing to open his own practice at 85th and Cass Streets a few years before the WAY Clinic closed. Dr. Young, III has served both Nebraska and Iowa in the field of mental health and has been affiliated with Clarinda Regional Health Center, Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, and the Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership.

George Alexander Young, Sr., MD

Born in England in 1876, George Alexander Young, Sr., MD, and his family immigrated to the United States in 1884 when Dr. Young was eight years old, eventually settling in North Loup Valley, Nebraska. He attended medical school at the University of Chicago and returned to Nebraska in 1901 after completing an internship at Cook County Hospital. Dr. Young’s first position was as the pathologist for the State Hospital in Norfolk, Nebraska. He then became assistant superintendent at the State Hospital in Lincoln and helped establish the nurses training program from 1902 to 1906 before returning to the State Hospital at Norfolk as superintendent from 1906 to 1908. In 1909, Dr. Young traveled to London, England, and Zurich, Switzerland, conducting post-graduate study in neuropsychiatry under famed Swiss psychoanalyst, Dr. Carl Jung. Upon returning to Nebraska in 1910, Dr. Young opened a private practice in Omaha. In 1912, he joined the Department of Nervous and Mental Diseases at Creighton University, where he was chair until 1916. During this period, he was also an instructor in the Department of Nervous and Mental Diseases at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. In 1917, he joined the UNMC faculty full-time and became chair in 1919, serving 27 years in the position. Under his leadership, the department went through several transitions, including a change of name in 1926 to the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry. During his career at UNMC, Dr. Young also served as chief of staff at Douglas County Hospital, was a member of the County Board of Mental Health, and served as a consultant in psychiatry to the Union Pacific Railroad. He is credited with introducing the use of insulin in the Midwest as a treatment for some mental illnesses. Dr. Young’s private practice eventually united with Harrison Alonzo Wigton, MD, another professor in the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry. Their practice was the predecessor of the WAY (Wigton-Aita-Young) Clinic. Dr. Young became professor emeritus in 1946 and fully retired from practice in 1953. He passed away November 3, 1957. Dr. Young passed on his passion to his children and grandchildren who also taught in the Department of Psychiatry and practiced at the WAY Clinic.

Harrison Alonzo Wigton, MD, c. 1905

Harrison Alonzo Wigton, MD had a general practice in Omaha for many years when he took an opportunity to study psychiatry in Vienna in 1909. With this newfound focus, Dr. Wigton returned to Omaha and joined up with George Alexander Young, Sr., MD who already had a private practice in psychiatry. Their joint endeavor grew into the WAY Clinic, where Dr. Wigton served the Omaha community for forty years along with his partners and his son, Robert Spencer Wigton, MD.

Howard Liu, MD, MBA, c. 2013

Howard Liu, MD, MBA, is a nationally recognized psychiatrist, educator, workforce expert, social media innovator, and health care leader at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). He serves as the Chair of the UNMC Department of Psychiatry. Previously, he served as the Director of the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) and as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Faculty Development at UNMC. He received his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, completed medical school and psychiatry residency at the University of Michigan, and graduated with a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship from the Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital. He also completed an Executive MBA in Health Administration at the University of Colorado Business School. Under his leadership as director of Nebraska’s behavioral health state workforce center, BHECN, the center became nationally regarded as a best practice in mental health and addiction workforce development. It received awards from the National Council for Behavioral Health and the Annapolis Coalition for the Behavioral Health Workforce. Dr. Liu is a member of the National Advisory Council of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Clinical Scholars Program. He previously served as a workforce expert for the Medical Directors Institute for the National Council for Behavioral Health and as an advisor for the HRSA/SAMHSA funded Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center at the University of Michigan.

John A. Aita, MD, PhD

Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa in 1914, John A. Aita, MD, received his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University, his medical degree from the University of Iowa in 1937, and his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 1944. After graduation, Dr. Aita completed neurology training at the Mayo Clinic and psychiatry training at Yale before joining the U.S. Army to serve in the medical corps in World War II. During his service, he conducted groundbreaking work in rehabilitation for patients with brain injuries. He was awarded a commendation from the surgeon general for this work. After the war, Dr. Aita returned to the Omaha-Council Bluffs area in search of a private psychiatry practice. He joined the Wigtons and Youngs in practice, creating the WAY Clinic. Dr. Aita also joined the Wigtons and Youngs on the faculty in the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry at UNMC. As a member of the department, Dr. Aita was active at the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute. He served UNMC and the Omaha community for over 30 years, becoming professor emeritus and retiring from practice in the 1980s. In 1995, Dr. Aita passed away at the age of 81. His legacy is visible in his children and grandchildren who continue his work in the medical field and serve their communities.

John F. Aita, MD

Born in 1944, John F. Aita, MD, is the son of John A. Aita, MD, and Nellie (Fordyce) Aita. Dr. Aita received his medical degree from UNMC in 1968 and specialized in neurology. He joined his father in practice in 1974 and opened his own practice in the 1980s when his father retired. Dr. Aita has been affiliated with Methodist Hospital and Nebraska Medicine throughout his career.

LaVern Craig Strough, MD, c. 1960s

LaVern Craig Strough, MD, was born in Beatrice, Nebraska, on February 28, 1915. He received his medical degree from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in 1939 and conducted his internship at University Hospital. Upon completion of his internship, Dr. Strough served on staff of the Lincoln and Omaha Veterans Administration Hospitals and was integral in providing outpatient services to veterans after World War II. Dr. Strough joined the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry as an assistant professor in 1951 and joined the team at the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute (NPI) as director of outpatient services in 1955. During his tenure at NPI also he served as director of education and training. In 1964 he stepped in as acting chair of the department as well as acting director of NPI when Cecil L. Wittson, MD, became dean of the College of Medicine. Dr. Strough stepped down from these positions in 1968 and moved to Worthington, Minnesota, where he joined the Worthington Medical Clinic. He passed away at the age of 60 in Worthington, Minnesota, in 1975.

Merrill Thomas Eaton, MD, at his desk at NPI, c. 1973

Merrill Thomas Eaton, MD, was born on June 25, 1920 in Howard County, Indiana. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1941 and his medical degree in 1944 from Indiana University in Bloomington. Upon graduation, he conducted an internship at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., before joining the war effort as a captain in the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1947. After service, Dr. Eaton conducted his residency in psychiatry at Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital in Towson, Maryland. Prior to joining the faculty at UNMC, Dr. Eaton served as a faculty member in psychiatry at the Kansas University School of Medicine from 1949 to 1960. Dr. Eaton and his wife, Louise Foster Eaton, MD, joined the UNMC Department of Psychiatry in 1960. He became chair of the department as well as director of the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute (NPI) in 1968. He oversaw various transitions at NPI including its final closure in 1985. Dr. Eaton stepped down as chair of the department in 1985 but continued to teach at UNMC until 1988. He and his wife also maintained a private practice in Omaha from 1960 to 1988, focusing on child psychiatry. Dr. Eaton passed away in 2011.

Reba A. Benschoter, PhD, c. 2001

c. 2001

Reba Benschoter, PhD, in the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute Studio, c. 1967

Joining UNMC in the early 1960s, Reba Benschoter, PhD, worked with Cecil Wittson, MD, and engineer Van Johnson to develop increased access and improved mental health care for rural Nebraskans using video technology. She served as project director on a National Institute of Mental Health grant, which supported creation and operation of the first U.S. two-way closed-circuit interactive telemedicine system extending UNMC psychiatric services to Norfolk State Hospital in rural Nebraska. Dr. Benschoter’s groundbreaking work on CCTV is credited as one of the first telehealth education programs in the nation. Based on this success, similar services were established in rural Nebraska Veterans Administration hospitals to improve staff education and patient care. These programs enabled psychiatrists at metropolitan hospitals to provide services to rural programs while UNMC worked to train more students at NPI to fill this gap in rural health access. By 1970, Dr. Benschoter became director of the Department of Biomedical Communications. In 1975, she led the development of a partnership with the Nebraska Educational Television Network. This network provided low-cost electronic access to UNMC education services in Nebraska communities. In 1991, she participated in the planning and implementation of the statewide satellite TV system, NEB*SAT, and was active in its governance, growth, and development. As associate dean of the School of Allied Health Professions (1985-1995), Dr. Benschoter spearheaded the study of rural health needs and led the development of programs like the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) with Chadron State College, special rural admissions tracks, programs for non-traditional rural students, and the creation of rural training sites to allow students to remain close to their communities. In 1990, she helped build the Rural Health Education Network (RHEN), creating mutually beneficial relationships with Nebraska communities to support health education. Many of these programs still operate today. Dr. Benschoter served as director of Biomedical Communications until her retirement in 2000 and is a professor emeritus in the College of Allied Health Professions.

Reba Benschoter, PhD, in the NPI communications facilities with Cecil Wittson, MD, c. 1963

Richard Hart Young, MD, c. 1929

The eldest son of George Alexander Young, Sr., MD, Richard Hart Young, MD, was born in Columbus, Nebraska, in 1904. Dr. Young received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago in 1926, and master’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln which led to his medical degree from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in 1930. After graduation, he interned at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts and then went on to specialty internships in neurology and psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Presbyterian Hospital in New York. After his internships, Dr. Young returned to Omaha and joined his father in practice. Over the course of his career, Dr. Young helped grow the private practice into a clinic in partnership with Harrison Alonzo Wigton, MD, Robert Spencer Wigton, MD, and John A. Aita, MD, PhD, which became known as the WAY Clinic. Dr. Young and his partners were attending psychiatrists at the Omaha area hospitals including Methodist, Lutheran, Clarkson, St. Joseph, and University Hospital. Dr. Richard Young joined the faculty at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in 1933 as an instructor in the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry. He led the department as chair from 1948 until his untimely death in 1953. During his tenure, Dr. Young oversaw the foundation of the Nebraska Psychiatric Unit and, with his father, George Young, Sr., MD, managed the foundation of the Psychiatric Department at Lutheran Hospital. Several facilities have been named in honor of Dr. Young and his contributions to mental health care in Nebraska including the Richard Young Center in Omaha and the CHI Health Richard Young Outpatient Clinic in Kearney.

Robert James Ellingson, PhD, MD

Robert James Ellingson, PhD, MD, was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 7, 1923. From 1943 to 1946 he served as Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he constructed and published psychological test forms for trainees. During this time, he also attended college, receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1947 and his PhD in psychology in 1950 from Northwestern University. Dr. Ellingson joined the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at UNMC in 1951. While teaching, he also pursued his medical degree, graduating from UNMC in 1963. After graduation, Dr. Ellingson joined the Nebraska Health System, serving as a psychiatrist at Clarkson Hospital, University Hospital, Methodist Hospital, the Richard Young Center, and Creighton Medical Center. Dr. Ellingson served as joint chair for UNMC and Creighton’s Department of Psychiatry from 1992 to 1993 and retired from UNMC a year after stepping down from the post in 1994. He retired from the state health system in 2002. Dr. Ellingson focused his work on neurology, psychiatry, and medical psychology, specializing in sleep studies. He worked the most with the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology where he served as president from 1981 to 1985. Dr. Ellingson passed away in 2020 at the age of 96.

Robert Spencer Wigton, MD, c. 1937

Robert Spencer Wigton, MD, the son of Harrison Alonzo Wigton, MD, followed in his father’s footsteps, graduating from UNMC in 1935 and completing residencies in neurology and psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. After serving in WWII, Dr. Wigton returned to Omaha and joined his father in practice and as a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry at UNMC. Taking the mantel from his father, Dr. Wigton grew the clinic along with George Alexander Young, Jr., MD, and John A. Aita, MD, PhD for over 30 years.

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