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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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research, as a result of the resolutions which our Committee got passed in the meetings of the Council of State Governors, I thought that I should try to do something in New York State.

Now, Dewey, as I've said, didn't even join our Committee as an honorary chairman, and he never paid any attention to the Survey of the Council of State Governments on the need for research and training. Consequently, I felt that New York State was in a backward state and possibly through Harriman's interest and willingness to do something in the mental health field we could get some sensible steps taken.

At this time, New York State had 120,000 beds for the mentally ill, including the mentally retarded. The size of its budget was 164 million for fiscal '56, and will be higher in '57. In the fiscal '56 budget about two million was supposed to be allocated for research for the whole state, but much of it was not used when Dr. Hoch got into the picture in early July, 1955.

Q:

Mrs. Lasker, at the time, in the early '50s, was it not becoming an a matter of major concern in New York, the tremendous increase in the number of patients and people susceptible to mental illness. Was it not related in part to the great influx of Puerto Ricans and the economic problems they endured, which brought on mental illness.

Lasker:

I'm not sure the Puerto Ricans form any large part of the population. I'd have to find out about that. About 70





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