Halbert L. Dunn
Encyclopedia
Halbert L. Dunn, M.D.
(1896–1975) was the leading figure in establishing a national vital statistics
system in the United States and is known as the "father of the wellness
movement".
, he attended the University of Minnesota
where he earned his M.D. in 1922 and his Ph.D. in 1923. He served as an assistant in medicine at Presbyterian Hospital of New York City
1923-1924 and as fellow in medicine at the Mayo Clinic
in Rochester, Minnesota
(1924–1925).
hired by the Mayo Clinic
and established its computer coding system for deriving medical statistics
. He was Chief of the National Office of Vital Statistics from 1935 through 1960, first as part of the Bureau of the Census
and later under the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, where it eventually became the National Center for Health Statistics
in 1960. In his final year with the U.S. Public Health Service he was Assistant Surgeon General for aging.
He was one of the founders of the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS) and of the Inter-American Statistics Institute (IASI). He was Secretary General of the IASI from 1941 to 1952. The Halbert L. Dunn Award
, named in his honor, has been presented since 1981 by NAPHSIS in recognition of outstanding and lasting contributions to the field of vital and health statistics
.
Church in Arlington County, Virginia
in the late 1950s. Those lectures provided the basis for his book, High Level Wellness, which was published in 1961. The book was reissued in a number of editions but did not have a great deal of immediate impact. It did, however, come into the hands of a number of the future leaders of wellness and holistic health
movement that bloomed more than a decade later, such as Don B. Ardell
, Robert Russell
, John Travis, and Elizabeth Neilson
.
Four events in the mid-1970s broadened the impact of Dunn's ideas. First, John Travis opened the first US wellness center (Mill Valley, CA, 1975). This center and other organizations were then described in Don Ardell's 1976 book, using Dunn's title (giving Dunn due credit for his origination of the title and concept). Then Elizabeth Neilson founded the journal Health Values: Achieving High Level Wellness (renamed the American Journal of Health Promotion in 1996), which was dedicated to Dunn and reprinted one of his papers in its first edition. Lastly, the publisher of Health Values, Charles B. Slack, Inc., published a reprint edition of Dunn's High Level Wellness that achieved a wider distribution and impact.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
(1896–1975) was the leading figure in establishing a national vital statistics
Vital statistics
Vital statistics are the information maintained by a government, recording the birth and death of individuals within that government's jurisdiction. These data are used by public health programs to evaluate how effective their programs are...
system in the United States and is known as the "father of the wellness
Wellness (alternative medicine)
Wellness is generally used to mean a healthy balance of the mind, body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being. It has been used in the context of alternative medicine since Halbert L. Dunn, M.D., began using the phrase high level wellness in the 1950s...
movement".
Early life
Born in New Paris, OhioNew Paris, Ohio
New Paris is a village in Preble County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,623 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :The area was in the tribal grounds of the Pottawatomi, Miami and Wyandot Indians....
, he attended the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
where he earned his M.D. in 1922 and his Ph.D. in 1923. He served as an assistant in medicine at Presbyterian Hospital of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
1923-1924 and as fellow in medicine at the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
in Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
(1924–1925).
Work in statistics
In 1929, he was the first biostatisticianBiostatistics
Biostatistics is the application of statistics to a wide range of topics in biology...
hired by the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
and established its computer coding system for deriving medical statistics
Medical statistics
Medical statistics deals with applications of statistics to medicine and the health sciences, including epidemiology, public health, forensic medicine, and clinical research...
. He was Chief of the National Office of Vital Statistics from 1935 through 1960, first as part of the Bureau of the Census
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
and later under the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, where it eventually became the National Center for Health Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics is a division of the United States federal agency the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . As such, NCHS is under the United States Department of Health and Human Services...
in 1960. In his final year with the U.S. Public Health Service he was Assistant Surgeon General for aging.
He was one of the founders of the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS) and of the Inter-American Statistics Institute (IASI). He was Secretary General of the IASI from 1941 to 1952. The Halbert L. Dunn Award
Halbert L. Dunn Award
The Halbert L. Dunn Award is the most prestigious award presented by the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems and is regarded as one of the most important honors in the field of biostatistics in the United States...
, named in his honor, has been presented since 1981 by NAPHSIS in recognition of outstanding and lasting contributions to the field of vital and health statistics
Vital statistics
Vital statistics are the information maintained by a government, recording the birth and death of individuals within that government's jurisdiction. These data are used by public health programs to evaluate how effective their programs are...
.
Wellness
Dr. Dunn introduced the concept of wellness (or high-level wellness) in a series of twenty-nine lectures he gave at the UnitarianUnitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
Church in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
in the late 1950s. Those lectures provided the basis for his book, High Level Wellness, which was published in 1961. The book was reissued in a number of editions but did not have a great deal of immediate impact. It did, however, come into the hands of a number of the future leaders of wellness and holistic health
Holistic health
Holistic health is a concept in medical practice upholding that all aspects of people's needs, psychological, physical and social should be taken into account and seen as a whole. As defined above, the holistic view on treatment is widely accepted in medicine...
movement that bloomed more than a decade later, such as Don B. Ardell
Don B. Ardell
Donald B. Ardell has been one of the leading figures in the wellness movement for four decades. The author of numerous books and articles on wellness he has also been a popular speaker on wellness-related topics appearance in every U.S...
, Robert Russell
Robert Russell
-Politics:*Bob Russell , British Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester*Bob Russell , former leader of the Liberal Party of Alberta and municipal councillor in St. Albert, Alberta*Robert B...
, John Travis, and Elizabeth Neilson
Elizabeth Neilson
Elizabeth A. "Betty" Neilson, EDD was a prominent figure in the field of health education and a leader in promoting the wellness and holistic health perspectives in public health....
.
Four events in the mid-1970s broadened the impact of Dunn's ideas. First, John Travis opened the first US wellness center (Mill Valley, CA, 1975). This center and other organizations were then described in Don Ardell's 1976 book, using Dunn's title (giving Dunn due credit for his origination of the title and concept). Then Elizabeth Neilson founded the journal Health Values: Achieving High Level Wellness (renamed the American Journal of Health Promotion in 1996), which was dedicated to Dunn and reprinted one of his papers in its first edition. Lastly, the publisher of Health Values, Charles B. Slack, Inc., published a reprint edition of Dunn's High Level Wellness that achieved a wider distribution and impact.