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OBIT for 8-6 Library

Herman Yannet, MD

Dr Herman Yannet, who served for more than 30 years as medical director of the

Southbury Training School, a model institution for the mentally retarded

located in Southbury, died on July 31 at his home at Heritage Village in

Southbury.

He is the father of John Yannet of Newtown.

After graduating from Yale University Medical School in 1925, Dr Yannet

completed his training in pediatrics at Yale. Taking a position in the

Department of Pediatrics, he conducted research on the Rh factor before

collaborating with Dr Daniel Darrow on one of the first studies of electrolyte

imbalance in dehydrated children.

In 1941 he became the first medical director of a new and innovative state

institution for the mentally retarded in Connecticut, the Southbury Training

School. Dr Yannet was the first physician to attempt to identify and classify

forms of mental retardation and authored many journal articles on the subject.

He was perhaps the first pediatric neurologist, a field that did not exist at

that time but now has many practitioners. He was a mentor to many

pediatricians in training, including Dr Roy Breg, who spent many years at the

Training School studying chromosomal abnormalities associated with various

forms of mental retardation.

As an emeritus professor at Yale University, Dr Yannet conducted a pediatric

neurology clinic for many years. He also was active as a consultant and

lecturer.

In the early 1960s, Dr Yannet participated in a White House Conference on

Children's Health. He also accompanied Eunice Kennedy Shriver on a tour of

British institutions for the mentally retarded.

Dr Yannet's wife, the former Rossel Golden, died in 1989. In addition to his

son, he is survived by another son, Peter Yannet of Beaumont, Tex.; a

daughter, B.J. Stone of Chevy Chase, Md.; a sister, Beatrice Richter of Great

Neck, N.Y.; three granddaughters; and six great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were private.

The Southbury Funeral Home of Munson-Lovetere, 235 Main Street North, Route 6,

was in charge of arrangements.

The Newtown Bee August 6, 1999