Biography
Dr. Corbett H. Thigpen (January 8, 1919 – March 19, 1999) was an American psychiatrist and co-author of the internationally renowned nonfiction book The Three Faces of Eve.
Born in Macon, Georgia, Thigpen supported his family during the Great Depression by turning his passion for amateur magic into a professional pursuit at age 14, performing for local civic clubs. His lifelong dedication to magic earned him induction into the Hall of Fame of the Southeastern Association of Magicians. Among his proudest accomplishments was earning the Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America, an organization he supported throughout his life.
Thigpen attended North Georgia State College and University, serving as President of its Alumni Association in 1971 and being named Outstanding Alumnus for 1971–72 after helping preserve the school's military character through efforts in the Georgia General Assembly. He graduated from Mercer University in Macon in 1942 and was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1997. He completed his medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) in Augusta in 1945, having served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He continued military service as a Captain and physician until 1948.
Following his military service, Dr. Thigpen entered private psychiatric practice with Dr. Hervey M. Cleckley. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, they led the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology at MCG, the sole instructors in those fields, while maintaining their private practice. Thigpen attained the rank of Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at MCG. A former student and Augusta physician noted that Thigpen’s classes were uniquely met with standing ovations after each lecture. Internationally recognized for his research, he published over 40 professional papers.
In 1957, together with Dr. Cleckley, he co-authored The Three Faces of Eve, the first widely publicized case study of what is now called Dissociative Identity Disorder. This case was reportedly the first documented instance of a patient exhibiting more than two distinct personalities. The book was adapted into a film released the same year, starring Joanne Woodward, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. The authors ensured the film closely followed the patient’s actual life and treatment without exaggeration. Records confirm that the patient and her family received compensation for permitting publication of their stories. Dr. Thigpen maintained a positive relationship with the patient until the end of his life.
During the mid-1960s, Dr. Thigpen openly opposed the Vietnam War’s policy direction, believing it was unwinnable. He also strongly opposed increasing government involvement in citizens’ lives, particularly in healthcare, predicting it would lower the overall quality of medical care. To share his views, he wrote and delivered the speech "A Psychiatrist Looks At His Nation" approximately 150 times across Georgia and South Carolina over two years. In 1968, he received the Freedom Foundation's George Washington Medal and was named a member of Distinguished Speakers of America. These speeches were made at his own expense and without political ambition. Although the Georgia Republican Party encouraged him to run for governor and later for the U.S. Senate, he declined both, believing the timing was not right.
Dr. Thigpen practiced psychiatry until 1987, retiring due to vertigo. In 1988, he was honored with proclamations for good citizenship by the Mayor of Augusta and the Governor of Georgia.
This description is adapted from the Wikipedia article on Corbett H. Thigpen, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
