History of The Utah Psychiatric Association

Prepared by Myrick Pullen, M.D.

The Intermountain Psychiatric Association was organized in the spring of 1951 to provide contact among the psychiatrists in the states of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and, except the Reno area, Nevada. At that time, the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Utah was new, and there were few psychiatrists in any of the states. Dr. Jack Tedrow of Salt Lake City did most of the spade work for the first meeting and served as president for the first two years. Early meetings were held in Salt Lake City and were limited to one day and one evening.

Picture of Myrick Pullen, MD

For the first several years, the Association served the purpose of gathering those in this area together to exchange ideas and to provide an opportunity to get acquainted. The social function was very important since everyone was professionally isolated. In 1954, New Mexico was added to the area. This addition brought the area covered by the Association to a size comparable to all of the United States east of the Mississippi except Florida and Michigan. After considerable discussion and study, the Association voted in 1958 to become a District Branch of the APA. Final approval of this move came at the meeting of the APA Council in the spring of 1959. The date of the annual meeting was changed at that time to permit the new officers to take office at the close of the APA meeting in May. During this time, also, the Reno area was added to the Association.

In 1961 the Association was host to the Western Divisional Meeting of the APA in Salt Lake City. Dr. Myrick Pullen was general chairman and Dr. Edward Beaghler was local arrangements chairman. The program committee consisted of Dr. John Torrens, clinical section; Dr. Norman Anderson, psychoanalytic section; and Dr. C. H. Hardin Branch, research.

In 1962 the Association was certified to process membership in APA and was incorporated in Nevada. In that year also the Arizona Psychiatric Association petitioned to become a District Branch of the APA and withdrew from the Intermountain Association. The Utah Psychiatric Society became a chapter of the APA at that time.