God knows His Name: The True Story of John Doe No. 24

Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, Summer 2001 by Portwood, Shirley J

Bakke's work repeatedly raises the question as to whether John Doe was, in fact, mentally challenged, or whether because he was without hearing or speech, he was presumed to be mentally deficient. The fact that he was homeless, anonymous, and African American immeasurably added to his presumed inability. Various professionals who worked with Doe indicated that they did not think that he belonged in a mental health facility. They observed that much of the negative assessment of his intellect and behavior could be accounted for by biased presumptions that both professionals and laypersons made about those who were deaf and mute. To be sure, John Doe did hoard food and other items, steal from fellow patients, and exhibit mood swings that sometimes were punctuated with violent outbursts, but this behavior is shared by many who are confined for extended periods in custodial care institutions. Although Bakke does not account for it in this fashion, one might add that even his inappropriate sexuality, among the most disturbing aspects of his anti-social behavior, might have been the result of sexual abuse either in early childhood or adolescence, rather than a sign of mental deficiency. That Doe might have been misdiagnosed as mentally challenged raises troubling questions about how many other people shared a similar loss of freedom due to the biases and misinformation of others.

"God Knows His Name," although very informative about John Doe and the Illinois mental health system, has limited interpretation of the rich data it presents. Nor does it address in any detail the issue of race that periodically surfaces. Academicians, professionals, and others who are interested in public policy, mental health issues, and institutional care will be among the most avid readers of this poignant, well-researched book, but many of these readers also will bemoan the work's lack of footnotes and bibliography.

Shirley J. Portwood is a professor in the Department of History at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she has taught since 1980. Portwood teaches African American history, American women's history, and United States history. She has published extensively, including pieces in the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society and other professional journals. Her recent autobiography and family history, Tell Us a Story: An African American Family in the Heartland, has been published by Southern Illinois University Press (Carbondale & Edwardsville, 2000). Portwood's current research focuses on the Alton School Case, 1897-1908, a school desegregation case, and the history of her family.