Laurence B. Hall was Denver's mastermind of psychiatric studies and psychoanalytical thought for nearly half a century.

Mr. Hall, who had battled poor health since he was a child, died March 1 of heart complications at his Denver home. He was 87.

He was a clinical professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Mr. Hall also was a founder of the Denver Institute for Psychoanalysis and the Denver Psychoanalytic Society. The institute and the society are dedicated to psychoanalytic thinking and treatment, promote scholarships and research, and provide pro bono outreach programs involving clinical services and education, according to their respective Web sites.

"He was always in committees and teaching," remembered Lin Borden, executive administrator of the Institute for Psychoanalysis and the Psychoanalytic Society. "He just never faded."

Mr. Hall overcame polio as a child to become a pioneer in his field, his colleagues and family said. When he got older he suffered from heart ailments and was forced to use oxygen, but that never stopped him from continuing to learn about his field.

His peers credited him with training, mentoring and supervising psychiatrists and psychoanalysts from 1957 until his health took a turn for the worse in 2001.

"He was amazing as a teacher because he was so well-read," said Mark Wolny, a licensed clinical social worker who studied under Mr. Hall beginning in 1992. "He had a mind memory that was uncanny."

When he suffered from macular degeneration, a visual ailment that caused blurred vision and a lack of focus, Mr. Hall managed to adapt.

"He read like a madman," Wolny recalled. "He was probably the most well-read person I know. He got Books on Tape. In fact, he had several books going on at once. He would hire a student from the local schools, and they would come to his house to read journal articles to him so he could be up on current scientific information."

Mr. Hall was born Aug. 10, 1919, in Melrose, Mass. An ancestor on his mother's side, Josiah Bartlett, is considered the first governor of New Hampshire and signed the Declaration of Independence.

In addition to his psychoanalytic work, Mr. Hall was politically active and carried on the principles of Bartlett's revolutionary activism, his daughter, Margaret Hall Feinsilver, of Great Neck, N.Y., said.

"He was extremely interested in politics and opposed to the current administration," his daughter said.

Mr. Hall obtained his bachelor's degree from Springfield College in Springfield, Mass., in 1939.

Because he was stricken with polio as a child, Mr. Hall was unable to serve in World War II, his daughter said. As an alternative to active duty, Mr. Hall entered the public health service.

In 1950, Mr. Hall earned his doctorate from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia.

Mr. Hall became a clinical psychiatrist in 1954 for the Tri-County Mental Health Clinics in Norristown, Pa., before he became its director three years later.

Mr. Hall came to Colorado in 1957 and became an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. In 1960, he became assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the school of medicine. In 1965, he was named an associate clinical professor.

Among his major accomplishments were his involvement with the American Psychoanalytic Association and his work shaping how psychoanalysis is researched and taught. He held key positions from 1975 to 1982, including chairman of the board on professional standards.

"He enjoyed his work very much," his daughter said. "He liked the teaching and training aspects, but he also had private patients.

"He loved living in Colorado. He was extremely active, a great skier and a good tennis player."

Mr. Hall was preceded in death by just three days by his daughter Elizabeth Moe. His daughter Margaret survives, as does Mr. Hall's wife of 61 years, Janet, of Denver; and his son, Benjamin, of Parker.

A memorial service is pending. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be sent to the Endowed Chair Drive at the Denver Institute for Psychoanalysis.

gutierrezh@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5204