As word of Jim Shore’s death spread through the nation’s psychiatric community, a number of his prominent colleagues reached out to his longtime friend, Dr. Robert Freedman, chairman of the department of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Denver, to extend condolences.
“All of them used exactly the same words,” Freedman recalled. “That Jim was ‘a gentleman and a thoughtful, insightful leader.’ “
Shore, a psychiatrist who had served as chancellor of the former University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and the University of Colorado Denver, died Sept. 29 at his ranch in Wyoming. He was 73.
Friends are invited to join in a celebration of his life that begins at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Convention Center, 650 15th St.
Shore, who earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from , was a key player in the move of the University of Colorado’s health sciences campus from Denver to what is now the in Aurora. The 200-acre campus generates $2.5 billion of annual revenue for Colorado and is home to five health care schools and a graduate program. It is regarded as a national leader in education, health care and medical research.
“Much of the success of the Anschutz Medical Campus and the contributions it makes to our society and economy can be linked to Jim Shore’s vision and leadership,” observed Lilly Marks, CU’s vice president for health affairs and executive vice chancellor of the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Shore also is remembered for the encouragement he gave others. “The only time he ever ordered me to do something was when he told me to stay at work until I completed an application for an award from the American College of Psychiatry, because he felt it would help my career,” Freedman said. “He had a similar impact on many others, both here in Colorado and through the many national organizations where he was acknowledged as a leader and where he, in turn, promoted many of us to leadership positions.”
After completing his residency at the University of Washington, Shore moved to Oregon in 1969 to join the as chief of its mental health office in Portland. Later, he was a professor and chairman of the department of psychiatry at the ‘s School of Medicine. He came to the CU School of Medicine in 1985 to lead the department of psychiatry.
Shore also devoted considerable energy to improving mental health services for American Indians and native Alaskans, an interest sparked by a childhood visit to the ancestral home of the Cherokee nation in North Carolina.
It was largely through Shore’s advocacy that the federal , which sets standards for removal and out-of-home placement of American Indian children, was passed in 1978. “His testimony revealed the adverse mental health consequences of those actions and the equally devastating loss of generations of Indian children to the tribes,” recalled Spero Manson, director of the on the Anschutz Campus.
The Indian Health Service gave him its Distinguished Service Award in 1996, and former U.S. Rep. Jonathan Christopher Porter of Nevada honored Shore by to his “tireless efforts” in the 2006 Congressional Record.
Shore even had a brush with Hollywood: in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” where he played a psychiatrist evaluating the character played by Jack Nicholson. The movie clip was incorporated into a video shown when the Duke Medical Alumni Association honored Shore in 2011.
In addition to his wife, Chris, Shore is survived by his daughter, Lenya, and son, Dr. Jay Shore, associate professor of psychiatry at the CU School of Medicine, and their families.
“From an early age, my father was drawn to the West and its unique spirit,” Jay Shore said. “This passion manifested itself through his membership in the and joining and going on their annual 100-mile ride.”
The family suggests contributions to the James H. Shore/ARCS Scholarship Endowment that was established when (ARCS) honored Shore as its 2005 Man of the Year. Donations can be made or by sending checks to the CU Foundation, P.O. Box 17126, Denver, CO, 80217-9155.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, jdavidson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/ joannedavidson
