Professor of Psychiatry, IU School of Medicine
Clare M. Assue, a beloved professor, talented psychiatrist, and effective administrator, joined the staff at the IU School of Medicine and LaRue D. Carter Memorial Hospital in 1958. She graduated from Howard University School of Medicine in 1954 and completed an internship at Beth-El Hospital in Brooklyn. In 1955, Assue spent a short time at the Indiana University School of Medicine as a first year resident, but left to complete her residency at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Washington,D.C.
In 1958, Assue returned to Indiana to become a staff physician at LaRue D. Carter Memorial Hospital and a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at IU School of Medicine. Assue quickly gained a reputation as a talented teacher, and rose quickly through the ranks of Assistant,Associate, and finally full Professor in 1971. During these years, she also took on administrative positions as chief of Male Service at Carter Hospital, Director of Medical Education, and later coordinator of Undergraduate Curriculum for the Department of Psychiatry. In 1961, Assue became a member of the Residency Training program. Assue was a dedicated member of the training team, and spent countless hours developing curriculum,teaching, and advising residents. She served as Director of the program from 1979 to 1989.
Assue was named the first Teacher of the Year by the Department of Psychiatry in 1978, and again received the award in 1982. She was also nationally recognized as an outstanding teacher and invited to become an examiner for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. As a psychiatrist, Assue was best known for her treatment of chronic illnesses like schizophrenia. She also worked to develop programs that addressed generational differences in treating patients with social rejection issues and mental illness. Her research focused on better integration into society for patients in the age range of 18-25.
In 1981, Assue was named Superintendent of Larue D. Carter Memorial Hospital. She became the first African American psychiatrist in the country to hold this position. Assue guided the hospital through a difficult financial period, and ensured that patients received the best of care despite declining staff and resources. Assue resigned in 1989 due to failing health and died August 28, 1990. The Clare Assue Residency Award of the Indiana University School of Medicine is named in her honor.
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