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Class of 1950

Strain

James J. Strain, M.D.

Professor of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Authority on the psychological care of the mentally ill

Developed software for consultation-Liaison Psychiatry

International lecturer, published author

Inducted into Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame, 2006

James Strain was a 1950 graduate of Royal Oak High School. Although he was closely linked with the January, 1951 class, he took extra classes in order to graduate early. He attended The University of Michigan and majored in botany, just as his father had.

Dr. Strain earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. He also holds a degree from the New York Psychoanalytic Institute.

Dr. Strain served on the staff at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City beginning in 1979. He held positions as attending Psychiatrist, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, and Director of the Division of Behavioural Medicine and Consultation Psychiatry. He is considered an authority on the psychological care of the medically ill, and has been asked to participate in studies funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Cancer Institute. He was involved in the development of software that was used in the consultation setting in Mexico, Portugal, Argentina, Brazil and Australia.

James Strain has over 500 publications and has presented over 750 national and international lectures. He earned the Third Earl of Litchfield Award from Oxford University in England and the Hackett Memorial Award for the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. At the age of 73, he published a book on Psychosomatic Medicine what is considered the vanguard of this new field. His family donation of $5 million to the Mount Sinai School of Medicine will provide scholarships to students attending the school.

Dr. Stain was inducted into the Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame in 2006.

Class of 1950

Reid

Robert E. Reid, M.D.

Vice-President and Corporate Medical Director, William Beaumont Hospitals

Physician in the community for forty years

Developed and served as Vice-Chief for the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Beaumont Hospital

Inducted into Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame, 1998

Robert E. Reid was president of the January, 1950 graduating class of Royal Oak High School. With the help of two of his high school teachers he obtained a scholarship to the University of Michigan. There he earned high academic honors and a bachelor's degree. In 1958 he earned his medical degree from the U of M.

Dr. Reid took his internship and residency at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. In 1962 he joined the attending physicians' staff at Beaumont specializing in obstetrics and gynecology services.

By 1973 he was Vice-Chief of Ob/Gyn at Beaumont. In 1983 he was appointed the Associate Medical Director of Beaumont Hospital and Vice President for Staff Development at St. Mary's Hospital in Livonia, Michigan. He later was made Vice President and Medical Director at Beaumont, and in 1997 Robert Reid became a member of the Board of Directors at the hospital. In January, 1997, he became the Executive Vice-President and Corporate Medical Doctor for the William Beaumont Hospital Corporation, and thus assumed responsibility for the operation of all medical departments in the hospital.

In 1998, Dr. Robert Reid was the keynote speaker at the induction ceremony of the Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Hall on that occasion.

Class of 1950

Beer

Richard L. Beer

Director of Oakland County Law Library

President of United Cerebral Palsy Association of Metro Detroit

Richard L. Beer was a 1950 graduate of Royal Oak High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Michigan and attended law school at Wayne State University.

Although his cerebral palsy prevented him from achieving his dream to be a practicing lawyer, he found many ways to impact the profession. In 1960 he began his career as a temporary custodian of the Adams-Pratt Oakland County Law Library. He received his master's degree from Wayne State and served nine years as the director of the Oakland County Law Library and a trustee of the Oakland County Law Library Foundation. Under the stewardship of Mr. Beer, the library grew from 8,000 volumes to over 50,000 when he retired in 1993.

In recognition of his work, Richard Beer received the Marion Gallagher Award from the American Association of Law Libraries and the Liberty Bell Award from the Oakland County Bar Association.

Mr. Beer served as chairman of the Orion Township Planning Commission and Zoning Board and was a guest lecturer on legal research at Oakland University for 25 years.

He served as president of the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Metro Detroit and an inspiration to his classmates and colleagues. Richard L. Beer was inducted into the Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame in 2006

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