Dear Members of the HMS and HSDM Community:

I am saddened to share the news of the death of Alvin F. Poussaint, a legendary figure at Harvard Medical School and beyond. In addition to his roles as former faculty associate dean for student affairs and founding director of the HMS Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs, Dr. Poussaint was an influential psychiatrist, scholar, and advocate for equitable access and opportunity. He died peacefully at his home — with his wife and family by his side — on Feb. 24, at the age of 90.

Dr. Poussaint was born in 1934 in East Harlem, New York City. He attended Columbia University for his undergraduate studies and earned his medical degree in 1960 from Cornell University. In 1965, he accepted the position of southern field director of the Medical Committee for Human Rights. It was in this capacity that Dr. Poussaint participated in the historic 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery. Dr. Poussaint risked his own life in the process of coordinating and administering medical care to protestors, many of whom were attacked and beaten while marching.

In 1969, Dr. Poussaint joined Harvard Medical School as associate dean of student affairs and later was faculty associate dean for student affairs, a post he held until his retirement in 2019. Throughout his time here, Dr. Poussaint was instrumental in expanding enrollment of underrepresented medical students. He recruited and mentored nearly 1,400 students of color, helping to launch their careers as physicians. Many of these former mentees now hold distinguished leadership positions in academic medicine.

As a professor of psychiatry and clinician at several HMS-affiliated hospitals, Dr. Poussaint’s research catapulted him into the public eye as a nationally respected authority on Black children and families, mental health, school violence, and substance abuse. He was a consultant to the media — as well as governmental and private agencies — on a wide range of social issues, including the effects of racism on Black mental health. It was a hallmark of his work and writings to toe political lines; he was a prodigious and careful thinker who married meticulous, evidence-based social science with insightful, pragmatic commentary.

Dr. Poussaint was a tireless crusader for human rights and the worthy recipient of many accolades, including the 2010 Association of American Medical Colleges’ Herbert W. Nickens Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to promoting justice in medical education and health care. In 2014, HMS celebrated Dr. Poussaint with a Diversity Lifetime Achievement Award.

Maya Angelou wrote, “When great souls die … Our eyes, briefly, see with a hurtful clarity.” Dr. Poussaint’s passing, while painful, sharpens our awareness of the continued need to reduce health disparities by bringing more members of underserved populations into the medical field. May we honor his memory through our unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and health and well-being for all.

Our hearts go out to his wife, Dr. Tina Young Poussaint, and his entire family, during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

George Q. Daley
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
Harvard University