1940s

Psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck, M.D. ’46, world renowned as the “father of cognitive therapy,” received the $250,000 Heinz Award in the human condition category for his early development of techniques used to treat millions of individuals suffering mental and behavioral health challenges. The award was made by the Heinz Family Foundation, a charitable trust established by Mrs. John Heinz in 1993 in honor of her late husband, Sen. John Heinz of Pennsylvania. Beck is professor emeritus of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania and president of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research. Previous recipients of the award include Yale faculty members James P. Comer, M.D., HS ’66, and Edward F. Zigler, Ph.D.