Oral history interview with Monsignor William O'Brien, 1981

Terms of Use: The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the reproduction is not to be used for any purpose other than your own private study, scholarship, or research. Any subsequent copying, downloading or distributing materials accessed by you in the Columbia University Libraries Digital Libraries Collection that are subject to copyright protection may constitute copyright infringement. In addition, Columbia University Libraries may employ technical measures to prevent any further copying, downloading, or distribution of the materials. A violation of these terms may subject you to potential liability for copyright infringement. For more information about copyright, fair use and permissions, refer to Columbia University Library’s Copyright Advisory Services at https://copyright.columbia.edu, and the Copyright & Permissions for Online Exhibitions & Digital Collections.

Name: O'Brien, William B (Interviewee); Courtwright, David T., 1952- (Interviewer)
Title: Oral history interview with Monsignor William O'Brien, 1981
Other Titles: Reminiscences of Monsignor William O'Brien, 1981
Abstract: In this interview, Monsignor William O'Brien discusses how he became interested in the issue of drug abuse among American youth. He describes in depth the founding of Daytop in 1963 with his associates Dr. Daniel Casriel, Joseph Shelly, and Alexander Bassin, and to what extent the program was inspired by Synanon. He discusses the transformation Daytop underwent in 1968, after splitting with its the n-director David Deitch. O'Brien discusses why Daytop chose to expand into a federation of independent locations, rather than franchises. He discusses the budget and funding of Daytop, and ponders how its government funding could be subject to change in the Reagan era. He discusses his opinion of methadone maintenance and compares it to the therapeutic community model. He discusses popular critiques of the therapeutic community model. O'Brien explains what makes Daytop unique compared to other therapeutic communities such as Odyssey House and Phoenix House. He discusses the philosophy of Daytop, results they have observed in the attendees of Daytop, and why he believes the program is successful
Collection Name: Addicts Who Survived oral history collection
Subjects: Drug addicts--United States; Drug abuse--History--20th century.--United States; Drug addicts--Rehabilitation--United States; Therapeutic communities; Methadone maintenance--History--20th century.--United States; O'Brien, William B; Daytop Village, inc; Phoenix House (Organization)
Format: oral histories
Genre: Interviews
Date: 1981

Physical Description: 72 pages
Note (Biographical): Monsignor William O'Brien was born in Yonkers, New York on September 28, 1924. He attended Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception, then St. Joseph's Seminary and College. He was ordained a priest in 1951. From his ordination until 1957, O'Brie n worked with the Orange County Catholic Youth Association. In 1957, he was stationed at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan, New York, and became involved in the investigation of the Michael Farmer murder. In 1963, he founded the drug rehabilitation center Daytop with Dr. Daniel Casriel, Joseph Shelly, and Alexander Bassin. In 1966 he studied psychotherapy under Orval Hobart Mowrer at the University of Illinois with the Lily Foundation Fellowship, and earned his graduate degree. Monsignor William O'Brien was interviewed for the project that led to the book Addicts Who Survived
Note: Interviewed by David Courtwright on July 31, 1981
Note (Provenance): David Courtwright, Herman Joseph, and Don Des Jarlais, Gift, 1988
Language: English
Library Location: Columbia Center for Oral History, Columbia University
Catalog Record: 10208016
Persistent URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/d8-mjmx-rw96
Related URLs: Available digital content for this interview.