Elsa Campion M.D.

José Campion McCarthy, aka Elsa Campion, M.D., was born into a large family in France. She observed its members and listened to their stories, her parents the main focus of her attention. She witnessed historical events — from the German occupation of her family farm during World War II to the Paris uprising of May 1968 — and learned how history shaped the lives of her family and friends. Working in Germany as an adult introduced her to people who presented her with different experiences of the war.

Her responses to events far beyond her control made her the person she became. Education guided her to medicine, statistical research, and psychiatry. After marrying an American and moving to the United States, she raised three children and obtained a degree in psychiatry for adults and children. She practiced on the West Coast until retirement.