Anton Oscar Kris, MD, Wins Sigourney Award 2020

Work By Harvard Professor Of Psychiatry Dr. Anton Oscar Kris Wins The Sigourney Award-2020 Prize For Psychoanalytic Achievement Worldwide

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Dr. Kris’ work guiding The Sigmund Freud Archives into the public domain wins The Sigourney Award-2020 alongside exceptional work from Mexico, South Africa and the USA.

Seattle, WA — January 13, 2020 – The Sigourney Award-2020 annually rewards exceptional work advancing the field of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic thought. A distinguished, independent panel of judges evaluated a record-breaking number of applications vying for The Sigourney Award’s international recognition and substantial cash prize. Today, William A. Myerson, Ph.D., MBA, and co-trustee of The Sigourney Trust, announces four 2020 Award recipients, including the work of Anton Oscar Kris, M.D., a Harvard psychiatry professor and psychoanalyst whose work guided The Sigmund Freud Archives to the public domain.

Anton Oscar Kris, M.D., is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a psychoanalyst, a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, and a past Executive Director of The Sigmund Freud Archives, Inc. Dr. Kris’ work has helped to sustain and grow Freud’s theories in an age that has misunderstood and challenged Freud’s relevance, while at the same time providing leadership in a careful reconsideration of them. Where necessary, Dr. Kris led discourse which criticized and corrected Freud without any trace of idealization or devaluation through careful study of Freud’s source material and method, free association. As the Archives’ Executive Director, Dr. Kris’ work included raising funds and establishing the freedom from copyright for Freud’s holographs and bringing the Archives into the public domain, publishing them on the Library of Congress website. The digitization of the Archives has exponentially expanded readership; in the first six months, the new pages received 165,000 visits. Dr. Kris’ work balances a deep appreciation of psychoanalysis’ roots with a modern, humanistic approach to and adaptation of traditional Freudian concepts; the value of his efforts, already evident with multiple generations of analysts and psychotherapists, will continue to impact future generations.

“Dr. Kris’ work helped provide unprecedented visibility of Freud and psychoanalysis the value of which will be apparent to future generations of analysts, scholars, historians and the lay public all around the world,” says Dr. Myerson. “It will help with keeping psychoanalysis alive and adaptive,” he adds.

“I am grateful for this important recognition of my work,” says Dr. Kris.

The winning work of 2020 adds to a long list of innovative contributions advancing psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic thought that, since 1990, have been honored with The Sigourney Award. This year, three additional prizes were awarded to recognize work by Patricia Gherovici, Ph.D., a psychoanalyst and Associate Faculty for the Psychoanalytic Studies Minor at the University of Pennsylvania, and co-founder and director of the Philadelphia Lacan Group; Heli Rafael Morales Ascencio, Ph.D., founder of the Social Foundation of Psychoanalysis in Mexico City, Mexico and a founding member of three movements on psychoanalysis including the School of Psychoanalytic Letter, the Psychoanalysis Social, and The Lacanian Analytical Network; and the South African Psychoanalytical Association (SAPA), a nonprofit organization based in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa.

“The exciting work being done today will inspire tomorrow’s generation of psychoanalysts,” says Barbara Sherland, J.D., co-trustee of The Sigourney Trust. “Our panel of independent judges were excited to learn through review of the submissions just how impressively the field has evolved over the years throughout the world,” she adds.

The Sigourney Award-2021 applications will be accepted online beginning March 2021. The Sigourney Award evaluates work completed within the recent 10 years, and applicants whose work does not win are welcome to enter again. Visit www.sigourneyaward.org for information and stay updated via social platforms for The Sigourney Award on Facebook and LinkedIn @SigourneyAward.

About The Sigourney Award 
The Sigourney Trust, an independent nonprofit organization established by Mary Sigourney in 1989, bestows annually The Sigourney Award as international recognition and reward for outstanding work that advanced psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic thought. Ms. Sigourney was a psychotherapist, publisher, and community activist who had a passionate interest in psychoanalysis and understood its ability to benefit and extend human conversation across various disciplines. To date, 133 Award Recipients from 22 countries represent her global vision. The Sigourney Award recipients’ ground-breaking work has significantly contributed to human affairs on topics ranging from clinical psychoanalysis, neuroscience, feminism, and political oppression.

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