"Bernard Mayes, 85, Dies; Started First U.S. Suicide Hotline"
Source: New York Times
By: William Hardley
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/us/bernard-mayes-85-dies-started-first-us-suicide-hotline.html?ref=health
Bernard Mayes, an Anglican priest, started the first suicide hotline in the United States. Then Mr. Mayes, a decade later, became the founding chairman of National Public Radio. Well this smart man died on Oct. 23, 2014 in San Francisco being 85 years old. "Mr. Mayes was most proud of San Francisco Suicide Prevention, the hotline he set up in 1961 with a single red telephone in the city’s gritty Tenderloin District," says William Hardley (NYTimes). At this time, Mr. Mayes was already juggling careers as a priest in Marin County and also as a correspondent for the British Broadcasting Corporation. Then he noticed San Francisco’s high suicide rate which prompted him to action and eventually saved many lives.“Thinking of ending it all? Call Bruce, PR1-0450, San Francisco Suicide Prevention.” was one of the first advertisements. It was posted on city buses driving through all of San Fransisco. The phone rang once the first night the advertisement was released. Today, many years later, it rings nearly 200 times a day. The suicide hotline has about 100 volunteers and 10 paid staff members who are always there to help the people in need. Now, suicide statistics show that the city’s suicide rate is less than half of what it was when the agency was first founded. Mr. Mayes, inventor and hero, had no training in suicide counseling, yet he saved thousands of lives. The 85 year old man with Parkinson's will always be remembered for his many ideas and the changes he brought to the world.
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