MATTHEW PIERCE DUMONT

DUMONT, Matthew Pierce Dedicated Humanitarian, Writer, Pundit and Advocate of Public Health Beloved husband, father and friend. Dr. Matthew Pierce Dumont passed away on Saturday, November 8th, 2025 at the age of 88 at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Born on January 29, 1937, Matthew and his brother Paul were raised in a house on Avenue U in the Gravesend neighborhood of Brooklyn. Before entering the field of community mental health, Matthew's earliest job was changing the lettering on the Avenue U movie theater marquee, which he proudly recalled, "I was the only one willing to go up on the ladder, so the manager loved me!" He attended P.S. 95 at Gravesend and Abraham Lincoln High School on Ocean Parkway. Summers were spent upstate at Camp Beacon which was known for its leftist leanings. Thus, seeds were planted and Matthew remained a progressive throughout his life. At Columbia University, Matthew's pursuit of his passion, philosophy, was sidelined by parental expectations that he should become a doctor. When expressing his reluctance to abandon philosophy for medicine, his professor responded by saying that the world needed more doctors who were philosophers. Matthew took that to heart for the rest of his life. It was 1957 when Matthew married Cornell art major Norma Krant while also completing his undergraduate studies. Matthew and Norma then headed westward, where he obtained his MD from the University of Chicago, graduating in 1961. His internship was completed at Boston City Hospital and his residency in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. Early in his career, Matthew was on track for a high-profile administrative career at places such as the National Institute of Mental Health and the Department of Mental Health, before being reminded by Norma that the whole purpose of pursuing his degree was to be a humanist in the profession rather than seeking prestige. From that point on, Matthew dedicated his career to community mental health, spending 16 years at the Chelsea Community Counseling Center in the city of Chelsea, Massachusetts. His time there is documented in his book Treating the Poor: A Personal Sojourn Through the Rise and Fall of Community Mental Health. In 1991, his position became a target of health care privatization. He moved on to Metropolitan State Hospital and later to Westborough State Hospital, of which he wrote about in The Incredible Shrinking State Hospital: A Psychiatrist's Dozen Years in a Disappearing Institution under his pen name Hugh Drummond. Matthew's first book, The Absurd Healer: Perspectives of a Community Psychiatrist was published in 1968 and sought to answer the question "What is community psychiatry?" In the late 1970s, as Hugh Drummond, Matthew was a regular contributor to Mother Jones magazine. His articles, which addressed an array of health care issues, were widely read. Of his column, the editor of Mother Jones wrote, "Dr. Hugh Drummond consistently received more mail from our readers than did all of the magazine's other writers combined. A rebel and an iconoclast, he methodically debunks the myths of modern medicine while focusing relentlessly on the profit motives of his fellow physicians and the drug companies." The articles won the National Press Club Award for Excellence in Consumer Reporting and were published in 1980 as a collection under the title Dr. Drummond's Spirited Guide to Health Care in a Dying Empire. Whether training fellow medical practitioners or speaking to attendees of the Community Church of Boston, Matthew was well known and appreciated for his off-the-cuff oratory style. Interest-piquing titles like, "Thinking On The Precipice: A Talk about the Effects of Apocalyptic Capitalism on Us Americans" and "Who Are We, Where Are We Going, What Are We Going to Do?" would have been the only pre-crafted part of a lecture. The talks themselves, flowing out at the microphone, sans notes, sprinkled throughout with sardonic humor, would meander in topic and ideas. Yet, just when the audience was inevitably wondering, "Where is this going and what are we going to do?", he would have circled back to his original point leaving his listeners at once amused, inspired and with the realization that he did indeed have a cohesive message. Matthew and Norma raised their three children, Jonathan, Charlotte and Dora, in Belmont, Massachusetts. Upon becoming empty nesters, they traveled frequently, their first trip being -to no one's surprise- to the U.S.S.R. For many years, Matthew and Norma would return to their favorite cabin overlooking Sebasco Harbor, taking daily walks along Popham Beach in Maine. Matthew was a lover of words, Shakespeare, and his family. He could be irreverent and, at times, a provocateur but was always caring and generous. Above all, he loved humanity and community. He lived his life as a troublemaker for good and was a consummate champion for the underdog. In addition to Jonathan (Nina), Charlotte (Anita) and Dora, he leaves his beautiful granddaughters Sylvie and Lucie. Matthew Dumont was deeply loved by his family, dearest friends and many of his colleagues in the field of community health. He will be forever missed. Levine Chapels, Brookline 617-277-8300 www.levinechapels.com