John Reid, Ph.D.

Primary Research and Clinical Interests

In Memoriam

After receiving his PhD from the University of Oregon, John taught at the University of Wisconsin for 5 years before returning to Oregon to develop a program of research aimed at improving outcomes for children and adolescents with behavior problems. Together with Gerald Patterson, he co-founded the Oregon Social Learning Center (OSLC) in 1977. John had an extraordinarily productive and influential career. He was the Principal Investigator on nine grants from the National Institutes of Health that ranged from 2-15 years in duration. He served as a Co-Investigator on twice as many. He was the Director of OSLC’s Prevention Center for over 20 years and was the Executive Director of OSLC for 18 years. He published over 130 articles, chapters, and books, many of those with an early career scientist as co-author. John served as a peer reviewer and chaired review committees for the National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Education Sciences, and the WT Grant Foundation.

John’s academic accomplishments do not begin to describe the breadth of his influence on fellow scientists and, in particular, on the career development of young researchers. He was an extraordinary mentor-generous, engaged, motivating, and selfless. He could be counted on to bring out the best in students and fellow scientists. One colleague noted that John had a unique knack for choosing the kernel of excitement in an idea and building on it as opposed to focusing on the limitations of a project. John’s fierce intellect, humble demeanor, and infectious laugh made him larger than life. He lives on in our memories and for his influence on the field of prevention science.