Spock, Benjamin McLane (1903-1998), an American pediatrician, became famous for his books on child care. His best-known book, Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care (1946), was translated into more than 25 languages. For later editions, the title was shortened to Baby and Child Care. His other books include Feeding Your Baby and Child (1955), Baby’s First Year (1955), Dr. Spock Talks with Mothers (1961), Problems of Parents (1962), and Caring for Your Disabled Child (1965). These books had a tremendous influence on parents during the 1950’s and the 1960’s, especially in the United States.
In the 1960’s, Spock became an active opponent of United States involvement in the Vietnam War. In 1968, he was convicted on charges of conspiring to counsel young men to avoid the military draft. He appealed the verdict. In 1969, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reversed his conviction.
Spock was born on May 2, 1903, in New Haven, Connecticut. He graduated from Yale University and received his medical degree from Columbia University. He died on March 15, 1998.
