 Beverly Benson Long Papers
Collection DescriptionBiographical NoteBeverly Benson Long was born in 1920 in Athens, Clarke County, Georgia, to William and Charlotte Benson. She attended the University of Georgia, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1941. She graduated with a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of North Carolina in 1942 and worked as an epidemiologist during World War II. She resettled in Seattle but moved back to the Athens area in the 1950s following a divorce. She returned to school and received a Master of Science in Psychology and began her career as a mental health professional in Georgia. In 1963, she married Maurice Long. Together they had four children. Long worked as a psychologist with the state of Georgia and then served on numerous advisory and regulatory boards related to mental health. She served in leadership roles for many organizations including president of the Mental Health Association of Metropolitan Atlanta (1968-1969) and president of the Mental Health Association of Georgia (1973-1974). As a mental health professional and advocate, she worked with the administration of Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter during the reorganization of state government and specifically served in various roles related to the Georgia Department of Human Resources, where mental health systems and services were regulated. In 1977, Long was appointed to serve on President Jimmy Carter's Presidential Commission on Mental Health (PCMH). The PCMH was the first presidential commission to focus on mental health. She served on the PCMH while continuing to work in professional organizations in Georgia and nationally. From 1979 to1980 she served as the President for the National Mental Health Association (NMHA). After the PCMH concluded, Long worked on issues of prevention and promotion, a subject that focused on increasing awareness of the mental health of children and adults. In 1984, she founded and chaired an NMHA group, the Commission on the Prevention of Mental-Emotional Disabilities. In 1987, she was instrumental in forming the National Prevention Coalition and chaired the organization until 1991. Long expanded her work to include advocacy for the global population. She was an active member of the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) and served as president (1995-1997). Long remained a board member for a number of years and also worked with the United Nations in various groups on issues related to mental health, women, and refugees throughout her career. In 2000, Long attended the First Biennial Conference produced by the Global Consortium for the Advancement of Promotion and Prevention, an international umbrella organization with different representatives, held at the The Carter Center in Atlanta. Long continued to be an active Biennial Conference Committee member. Long worked with several state, national, and international organizations throughout her career. She was a mental health professional and an advocate for prevention and promotion. She worked in Georgia at the state level to change policies and standards of care for those subjected to the mental health care system and she did the same as an advocate for national and federal policies. Internationally, she advocated for comprehensive services and systems that worked for people, and for primary prevention of mental health disorders coupled with the continued promotion of awareness of mental health issues. In 2007, Emory University awarded Long an Honorary Doctorate of Science. Long died on October 30, 2015. Sources: "Beverly Benson Long (1920-2015) Obituary." Athens Banner-Herald. 6 November 2015. Web 8 September 2016. Grob, Gerald N. "Public Policy and Mental Illnesses: Jimmy Carter's Presidential Commission on Mental Health." The Milbank Quarterly. September 2005. Web. 8 September 2016. Scope and ContentThe Beverly Benson Long Papers document her work and career in the mental health field as a professional and as an advocate in state, national, and international organizations and governmental roles. The collection contains organizational and state government-related materials and includes correspondence, internal reports, papers, newsletters, memos, conference proceedings, and commission and board meeting materials. Organization and ArrangementThe papers are organized in five series: I. Georgia Materials, II. National Organizations, III. International Organizations, IV. Prevention and Promotion, and V. Personal. Administrative InformationConditions Governing AccessThis collection is open for research. Series III. International Organizations contains digital files. To access these files, please request the folders you would like through the finding aid using your research account. An archivist will be in contact with you to explain how to access the files. Please note that not all file formats are currently supported by the library for research use. Series I, II, and V contain audiovisual items. Reference copies of the audiovisual recordings are available upon request. Research requests will be filled as soon as possible and will be dependent upon the condition of the recordings. Preferred citationBeverly Benson Long Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641. Processing InformationDue to the original, unsorted condition of the papers, the archivist extensively rearranged Long's papers during processing. The sorting of loose material into subjects related to Long's own notes on significant subject areas resulted in the five series within the collection. The chronology of her career in mental health also influenced the final arrangement as her career progressed from state to nation and then to global in the organizations she served and the influence she had in the profession. The organizational materials were arranged chronologically but significant overlap exists between subjects and organizations throughout the collection. The Prevention and Promotion series contains materials that document the major focus of her career and therefore span decades, organizations, and geographic scope. Many of these materials Long marked as "P and P" or were not clearly related to one organization or subject but concerned either prevention and promotion activities. Where Long's papers included clear runs of files or materials that related to specific projects, papers, conferences, or business matters, the archivist retained this order, which is reflected in the mixed date ranges of some materials. Conditions Governing UseLibrary acts as "fair use" reproduction agent. Copyright InformationBefore material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permissions. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original. Finding Aid PublicationFinding Aid prepared by Angelica Marini, 2016. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject TermsRelated Collections in this Repository
Georgia Disability History Archive Related Collections in Other RepositoriesRecord Group 220: President's Commission on Mental Health, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library | ||||||||||||||||||||||