The 73-year-old Feifel, chief of the psychology service at the Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic in Los Angeles, and emeritus clinical professor of psychiatry and the behavioral sciences at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, is credited with groundbreaking research and writing that has significantly altered cultural attitudes and understanding of the process of dying, the fact of death, and the nature of bereavement. His book The Meaning of Death (McGraw Hill, 1959) as well as extensive writings in scholarly journals both within and without the field of psychology are considered seminal works in this relatively young scientific discipline.
"His efforts broke the entrenched taboo that had previously discouraged scientific study of death and dying, and have earned him international acclaim," says the award citation. "His keen mind, penetrating insight, and leadership, and his endeavors as scientist, clinician, author, editor, and mentor have broadened the base of ...
