John Maltsberger III ’55

J.T. was born Dec. 18, 1933, in Cotulla, Texas, to John and Ruth Maltsberger. He died Oct. 5, 2016, of biliary carcinoma.

His major at Princeton was philosophy, and his thesis was on the philosophy of religion. He was the secretary of Prospect Club and roomed at 12 Campbell Hall with Spencer MacCallum ’54.

Graduating from Harvard Medical School in 1959, J.T. trained as a psychiatrist at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center and as a psychoanalyst at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. A long-standing teacher at Harvard Medical School, he became in due course a part-time professor of psychiatry. J.T. was a scholar with a fine, graceful prose style, so his papers ran deep but were easy reading.

He was a highly valued psychiatric consultant in suicidal cases, in which he was a world expert. He was president of the American Association of Suicidology, a cherished teacher, and mentor. Humor was always at the ready, but he was utterly serious when it came to his responsibilities to family, patients, and colleagues.

He is survived by his son, Noah, of Waltham, Mass.; daughter Liza Maltsberger of Boston; and son Joshua of Lexington, Mass.