As a medic in the Army during World War II, Gerald Rosenbaum tended to wounded comrades and was part of an infantry regiment that liberated a concentration camp.
He witnessed the psychological trauma of war and its atrocities and later would become a pioneer in the growing field of clinical psychology. He played a key role in establishing two nationally known clinical training programs, including the joint doctoral program at San Diego State University and the University of California San Diego.
Dr. Rosenbaum died of cancer Sept. 8 in La Jolla. He was 86.
The professor arrived in San Diego in 1989 to become director of the joint SDSU/UCSD doctoral program during its infancy and guided it to become one of the nation's top-ranked programs. He came from Wayne State University in Detroit, where he was professor of psychology and director of clinical training for 39 years.
His son-in-law and former student, Robert Asarnow, said Dr. Rosenbaum was among the first generation of clinical psychologists who advanced the concepts of behavior therapy. Asarnow, a UCLA professor, said World War II was a turning point for Dr. Rosenbaum.
“The psychological trauma he saw really left an impact. . . . He was involved in liberating a concentration camp. He saw what people could do to each other,” Asarnow said. “He believed in using social science to address social ills.”
Asarnow said Dr. Rosenbaum was also passionate about making sure minorities were included in his graduate programs.
Colleagues and friends said Dr. Rosenbaum was a lively, effective lecturer and a mentor to many who went on to become leaders in their fields.
“He had been very successful before coming (to San Diego). He knew everybody in the psychology field,” said former student Michael Taylor, a professor at SDSU.
Dr. Rosenbaum was born Dec. 12, 1922, in New York City to Pauline and Manny Rosenbaum. He grew up in Brooklyn and earned a bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College. He served in the Army from 1943 to 1946. His unit liberated the Ohrdruf concentration camp, a sub-camp of Buchenwald.
He earned master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Iowa. He wrote extensively in the areas of alcoholism, anxiety and schizophrenia, and was active with several professional organizations and publications. He also wrote the book “A Tour Through Clinical Psychology: Coney Island to Rancho Santa Fe,” an autobiographical account of the field of clinical psychology.
After settling in Rancho Santa Fe in 1989, Dr. Rosenbaum was active in the San Diego chapter of the Brooklyn College Alumni Association and served as president. He enjoyed golf and was a member of Lomas Santa Fe Country Club.
Dr. Rosenbaum is survived by his wife of 64 years, Ruth; daughters, Joan Rosenbaum Asarnow of Pacific Palisades and Nancy Rosenbaum of Glastonbury, Conn.; and three grandchildren. He was predeceased by a granddaughter, Emily Reik.
Services have been held.
The family suggests donations to the charity of your choice or to the Gerald Rosenbaum Endowed Scholarship in Clinical Psychology Fund at Wayne State University, College of Liberal Arts, 4841 Cass Ave., Suite 2155, Detroit, MI 48201.