Dr. James West Dies at 98

James W. West, a surgeon struggle with alcohol led him to develop treatments for addiction and, ultimately, to become medical director of the Betty Ford Center, died July 24 at home in Palm Desert, California was 98.

His death was confirmed by his son Bill.

Dr. West has begun to focus on addiction. In 1950 he attended Dr. Richard H. Lawler and Dr. Raymond P. Murphy in the execution of the first kidney transplant.

The recipient of the organ, a woman named Ruth Tucker 40 years, suffered from polycystic kidney disease. His body rejected the new organ, after several weeks not rejection drugs had been developed - but the transplant will be the moment of his other kidney to start working enough, Dr. West said later that in interviews. Mrs. Tucker lived five years.

Over time, the interests of Dr. West turned to the study and treatment of addiction driven by his own alcoholism.

"There had been a DUI, and he never showed up for surgery under the influence," said John Schwarzlose, president and CEO of the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif. "I watched him and his colleagues say 'You're not an alcoholic. "He said,' My illness has not played like it did with others who may have problems with alcohol and other drugs, and not the slums. ' ".

Bill West, said his mother, Shirley, had told his father "had to ask for help, and has heard of this."

Dr. West, who had received his medical degree from Loyola University and has begun to study psychiatric disorders and addictions.

He said that at some point, the research showed that nearly one in nine doctors suffered some kind of addiction, and began teaching at the university faculties of psychiatry.

In 1975, he and Msgr. Ignatius McDermott, who worked with the homeless in Chicago, founded Haymarket Center, a treatment plant for non-profit alcoholism and drug addiction.

The West retired to Palm Desert in 1982, but retirement did not last long. This year, Dr. West began as a volunteer in a clinic for outpatients for alcohol abuse in the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage.

Meanwhile, Betty Ford, Former Prime lady who openly fought addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs, and Leonard Firestone, former ambassador to Belgium and the son of the founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, opened the Betty Ford Center. Dr. West joined the staff of the same year.

Mr. Schwarzlose Dr. West described as "medical addiction before the term even existed." He recalled the opening of Dr. West with other doctors about their treatment programs.

"It was not really used the drug, other people were using," said Schwarzlose. "He is the attitude and the look says. '... Is how they treat alcoholics and drug addicts always feel like nobody wants to try make us feel as if you had come to the right place" He said: 'My doctors and nurses to treat people with love. "I know it sounds corny, but the truth."

Dr. West moved to a part-time role in 1989 and retired in 2007.

Ward, James West, was born March 29, 1914, in Chicago. His first wife, the former crew of Shirley, died in 1997. In addition to his son Bill, He is survived by his wife, Maureen Clark, who married in 1998, another son, Raymond, four daughters, Vicky Dingli, Judith West, Pamela Byrne and Penny West, two stepchildren, Marquis Cheryl Clark and sand, a sister, Catherine Ann McClelland, five grandchildren, stepchildren, grandchildren, great grandchildren 04:05.

Dr. West was not a good student in his early years. His parents, when he said he had to repeat his first year in high school, sent to Campion High School, a Jesuit school in Prairie du Chien, Wis.

He attended school in a shelter where he challenges students to plan their careers, and decided to become a doctor.

"Thereafter, it was easy for me to be a doctor," he said in 2003, recalling his experience in retirement. "I was in my mind. Everything else was just an obstacle between you and the DM"

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Civic leader John J. Merrick dies at 93

When the Beverly Hills attorney, John J. Merrick was elected judge of the judicial district of Malibu in 1964, was considered only a part-time work: the population of the area stretching from sea to Calabasas does not guarantee full-time municipal judge.

While maintaining his law practice, Merrick cases heard Monday in a small court in Calabasas, which has doubled in a ballroom at night.

He spent the next four days a week, the benchmark in 1930-was the court of Malibu, Pacific Coast Highway.

But it could also be allocated to meet the municipal actions in places as far away as Glendale, Indio, Lancaster and Ventura.

"I was known as' Have Robe, Will Travel," she recalled in a 1986 times.

At present the population of the district court exceeded the necessary 40,000 in 1973 and became Merrick's first municipal court judge of the new Constitution in Malibu, has been handling more than 20,000 cases a year. He stayed on the bench in Malibu until his retirement in 1986.

Merrick, a resident of Malibu since 1940 and a local historian and civic leader, died of pneumonia July 31 at his home in Point Dumas, said his son Brian. He was 93 years.

When Merrick retired after nearly 22 years as a judge in Malibu, Richard Brand, a court commissioner who had worked with him for 12 years, told the Times: "We're losing an institution."

"Many people say that I am a very fair judge," Merrick said the Times in 1986. "I look to see both sides to exercise some compassion and punish those who need it."

Merrick on the bench during the time he signed the order to breach to enter the Spahn Ranch, home of the famous Manson family.

And with 50 MPs warn his court, Merrick presided over the preliminary hearing of Manson family member Susan Atkins, who was accused of the murder of musician Gary Hinman Topanga Canyon.

Merrick had sometimes the heat of some of his decisions in court.

When Topanga Canyon nudist club called Elysée opened in 1960 and a number of people have been arrested on charges of nudity in the context of an ordinance of the county 30 years of age, Merrick said that the ordinance was unconstitutional.

The decision that was upheld by the Court of Appeals of the State, has received wide publicity.

"Despite the fact that I am a deeply religious person who attends Mass every day," said Merrick The Times in 1986: "I was described as a pervert and has received a lot of hate."

As the judge in a show of world-famous enclaves, Merrick has chaired a number of celebrity weddings, including the high profile 1985 marriage of pop singer Madonna and actor Sean Penn on a promontory, Point Dumas.

"There were eight helicopters flying over the shooting on the roof with kids hanging doors, was like 'Apocalypse Now'" recalled Merrick 1986 Times interview. "The three of us knew more or less what we were doing. But all the others not to hear the noise."

As Judge Merrick was known for his sense of humor. "There are many occasions where people are very tense in front of you, and you can break the tension with some humor," he told The Times in 1969.

Those who passed through his classroom always, unintentionally humorous moments.

"I was a busboy for being drunk," said Merrick. "I explained the reasons for the different and then I asked him how he said he replied.. Very guilty, his lordship" "

On another occasion, Merrick asked if the defendant was employed.

"Yes, sir," replied the accused, "I am self employed."

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Marvin Hamlisch dies at 68

The film and the Broadway community has lost one of its most successful composer Marvin Hamlisch as strongly on Tuesday has died at 68 after a short unspecified illness.

Perhaps best known for his work in the beloved movie musical A Chorus Line and The Way We Were he and Sting, Hamlisch has also written scores for famous films such as the common people, and Sophie's decision to take the money and run and contribute to the James Bond hit the spy who loved me, co-authored Nobody Does It Better by Carole Bayer Sager.

For his efforts, Hamlisch has won entry into the elite club of artists who have received Tony, Emmy, Grammy and Academy Awards. He has won four Emmy Awards and three Academy Awards, the third for his adaptation of Scott Joplin ragtime music is at the time.

His credits on Broadway, most of the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning A Chorus Line, They're playing our song including, The Goodbye Girl and the sweet taste of success. The final show, although not a critical hit, it was cool to the musical star Kelli O'Hara in her first Broadway role.

Hamlisch was also a prolific arranger and conductor, symphony orchestras across the country. The youngest student accepted to the prestigious Juilliard School in New York, began studies there at the age of 7 years he started his career on Broadway as a pianist and vocal arranger assistant test for Funny Girl , starring Barbra Streisand, as would later write in The Way We Were.

His work on Broadway includes arrangements and orchestrations for Liza Liza Minnelli's triumphant return to the palace in 2008 and previous commitments Minnelli on Minnelli (1999) and Liza (1974). He also provided music for the 1984 Shirley MacLaine on Broadway special.

Hamlisch's adaptation of the new movie musical The crazy professor has made its world premiere in July at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. The composer had been scheduled to fly to Nashville this week to see the Broadway production of wheels.

He was working on another musical, well, Gotta Dance, and wrote the soundtrack behind theCandleabra the forthcoming HBO film Liberace. And Hamlisch was to target New York Philharmonic concert on the eve of his next New Year.

While sweeping Hamlisch, shamelessly sentimental style does not always earn rave reviews, seemed satisfied with the popular appeal that much of his music remained for decades.

"I do not think there is nothing wrong in doing very wonderful, wonderful business, entertainment," he said in an interview Broadwayworld.com 2010. "There is nothing wrong with the" business "of the word."

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