Historical highlights of the National Institute of Mental Health from 1946 to the present.

This introduction briefly highlights NIMH's history from its inception until today. It is not meant as, nor could it be, a detailed history of NIMH but is offered primarily as a perspective by which to read the articles in this supplement. Obviously, the history of any institution is the personal history of its leadership, and contained in this special issue are the personal reminiscences of six of the eight Directors of NIMH, who review their tenures at the Institute from the perspective of the central contributions and advances made by NIMH during the time they served as Director. As such, it is an interesting and informative personalized history of one of the world's great institutions and one that has played and continues to play a central and vital role in this nation's response to its mentally ill citizens.