While I don't blame Dr. Spock for all that is wrong with American society today, he was the one person who most influenced the raising of children during the 1950's through the 80's.
He died in 98, his obit is below. Note the next to last sentence, the emphasis is mine.
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Spock, Benjamin McLane, 1903?98, American author and pediatrician, b. New Haven, Conn., educ. Yale (B.A., 1925) and Columbia Univ. College of Physicians and Surgeons (M.D., 1929). In 1946, Dr. Spock published The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care (later Baby and Child Care), offering parents and child-care personnel authoritative scientific and pediatric information on the care and upbringing of children, while dispelling many of the pejorative and oppressive methods of the past. The book has been a bestseller for years. He was professor of child development at Western Reserve Univ.) from 1955 until 1967, when he resigned to devote himself to the campaign against the Vietnam War. In 1972 he was the presidential candidate of the People's Party, a coalition of pacifists and populists. Among his other writings are A Baby's First Year (1954), Feeding Your Baby and Child (1955), Decent and Indecent (1970), and Raising Children in a Difficult Time (1974, rev. ed. 1985). He was a world-famous pediatrician. His book Baby and Child Care is one of the biggest-selling titles of all time. While studying at Yale University Spock was a member of the 1924 U.S. national crew that won a gold medal in Paris. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL