The First Superintendent
In many ways, Doctor Munson was a leader to many people. But to me, he was a leader to his patients and staff during his time at the hospital as the first superintendent. He was against the use of the ways of treatment for the psychologically insane, things like the straight-jacket and electric-shock therapy. Instead, he believe in a different form of medicine, changing the treatment for the mental patients forever. Dr. Munson used farming, animals, and gardening to treat his patients, many of which worked in the greenhouses on the campus to "calm them." The mental patients seemed to love the flowers and trees that grew all over the campus, and they did in fact appear to help them become sane, so much better than shock therapy ever did, and it was all because of Doctor Munson. And the staff at the hospital that worked with him, if they were all still alive and well today, would say how much influence Munson had on them and people around him. After a while, Doctor Munson became well known for his ways of treatment. At first, it was seen as ludicrous, allowing workers to socialize with patients, and letting the patients outside for multiple times a day. But, over the years, Doctor James Decker Munson became known as a kind man who cared about his patients, making him an amazing leader.