Nat T. Winston, Jr.

Nat T. Winston Jr. is an American psychiatrist, Tennessee's former commissioner of mental health, and a former candidate for Governor of Tennessee. Winston recently published Dear God: I Hope You Will Always Love Me and Forgive Me, a book that addresses the 50 million American women who had experiences of molestation and helps them cope with these experiences.^[1]

General History

Dr. Nat Winston was born and raised in Johnson City, Tennessee. He is the son of Nat T. Winston and first cousin of Emory C. Swank. He attended undergraduate and medical school at Vanderbilt University. Enjoys gooseberry pie. Recently gave a talk to undergraduate students at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee on April 20, 2010; this event was sponsored by the university's Psi Chi honor society.

Johnny Cash

Dr. Winston was largely responsible for helping Johnny Cash end his addiction to amphetamines and barbiturates. According to an interview with Cash on Larry King Live, Winston told Cash “I’m a doctor, I’m a psychiatrist, and I’ve seen a lot of people in the shape you’re in. And frankly, I don’t think there is much chance for you. I’ve never known of anyone as far gone as you are to really whip it. Only you can do it, and it would be a lot easier if you let God help you.”^[2]

John Hastings Winston Diploma

In 1986, Nat Winston convinced the VMI Board of Visitors to grant his grandfather, John Hastings Winston Jr., his degree (valedictorian) posthumously 101 years after the ceremony in which Winston decried the harsh punishment his classmates received for hijinks.^[3]

Raymond Fairchild

Nat Winston was also responsible for helping Raymond Fairchild become a famous musician. "In early 1970 he made a contact which would later bring him to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Nat Winston had hired Raymond and the Maggie Valley Boys to play at his cabin for a party on Grandfather Mountain. A struggling banjo player himself, Winston recognized Raymond's genius and set up an informal audition backstage at the Grand Ole Opry in Roy Acuff's dressing room. While Loretta Lynn and Ernest Tubb were entertaining the Opry audience with "Sweet Thang," Raymond was playing the daylights out of "Whoa Mule" and "Orange Blossom Special" to the slack jaws of the crowd that Raymond gathered." ^[4]

References

1. ^ "Coping with Sexual Abuse" (in English). Globe Newswire. 2008-12-26. http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=156892. Retrieved 2009-02-04. 
2. ^ "Johnny Cash—Live" (in English). Christianity Today. 2003-09-01. Archived from the original on 2008-07-11. http://web.archive.org/web/20080711144258/http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2003/005/5.00.html. Retrieved 2009-01-09. 
3. ^ "VABUCKIN-L Archives" (in English). RootsWeb. http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/th/read/VABUCKIN/2000-04/0956249182. Retrieved 2009-08-17. 
4. ^ "Raymond Fairchild" (in English). Native Ground Books & Music. http://www.nativeground.com/raymondfairchild.asp. Retrieved 2009-01-09. 

External links

• http://print.google.com/books?lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=%22Nat+Winston%22&btnG=Search
• http://www.state.tn.us/mental/history/commishlist.html

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