Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division |
Portraits of influence
#7:
Benjamin Rush 1760
Physician and statesman, Rush signed the Declaration of Independence,
was an early opponent of slavery and capital punishment, helped prepare
the Lewis and Clark expedition, and is considered America’s first
psychiatrist for his groundbreaking research into mental illness and addiction.
Rush believed, for example, that mental illness was a disease of the mind,
and not a “possession of demons.” 
Read about others on the list. Click on the illustration below to read about each person. You can also select individuals by name in the index below.
By
Michael Witte ’66
Who’s who in the illustration: Numbers in parentheses
represent the rankings on the PAW panel’s list.
